MINORITY GOVERNMENTS
Slit,—Peter Campbell, discussing The Odds for 195o, says that, "when there are only two major parties, our electoral system gives the more popular of those parties an unduly large share of the seats in the House, but it does not deprive such a party of a majority." Doesn't it ? What about South Africa ? Alliances on both sides reduced the South African election to a straight fight in all but eleven constituencies, and even in those eleven the winning candidate had a clear majority over all his opponents combined. Yet the result was: Smuts parties, 547,437 votes, 60 seats (plus 11 uncontested). Malan parties, 442,338 votes, 78 seats (plus 1). Others, 76,279 votes, no seats. Our elections are a gamble, and
a dangerous gamble.—Yours faithfully, ENID LAKEMAN, Research Secretary.
The Proportional Representation Society, 82 Victoria Street, S.W.I.
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