Marshal Tito's Elections
Sunday's elections in Yugoslavia have given Marshal Tito's National Front an overwhelming victory. Any other result would have been surprising. The Opposition was not allowed to offer candidates for election, and was limited to voting for or against the National Front ; all the means of propaganda and of eqierting moral pressure were in the hands of the National Front ; and all collabora- tors were disfranchised, their number being estimated at 3 per cent. of the electorate by the Government and at a much larger proportion by unofficial sources. Nevertheless, within these limits, the elections appear to have been fair, free and orderly ; the considerable number of votes cast against the National Front in some districts is strong evidence of their fairness. In a statement following the elections, Marshal Tito has given his views on future developments. He expects the growth of a strong Opposition within the ranks of the National Front, which is unlikely to maintain the same unity during the period of reconstruction as during the struggle for liberation ; such a development would be welcome evidence of the growth of democracy under his regime. At the same time, Marshal Tito made it clear that he would allow no liberty of action to those who hope to weaken the regime itself in the hopes of "Western intervention." It is to be hoped that neither Marshal Tito nor any of his country- men labour under the misapprehension that such intervention is likely to come from this country.
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