The Egyptian elections which were held last Saturday resulted in
an overwhelming majority for the Zaghlulists. A very few returns from outlying constituencies have yet to come in, but when we go to press the figures are : Zaghlulists, 154 ; Liberals, 25 ; Nationalists, 6 ; Inde- pendents, 5 ; and Unionists, 4. The feature of the elections was the practical disappearance of the Unionists. They had become extremely unpopular as representing the interests of the Palace, and the Liberal Ministers in the Ziwar Government had broken away from their policy. The elections very conducted under a system of direct voting—in place cf the former indirect voting—and manhood suffrage. It is generally believed that the introduction of this system was in accordance with British advice. Everybody foresaw that- it would give power to a large, new and extremely unenlightened electorate and that it would help the cause of Zaghlul ; but it may have been thought—indeed probably was thought—that it was much better to have Zaghlul in a position in which he could not refuse to conduct the politics of the country openly than to have him pulling strings behind the scenes.
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