Syrian Voting Puts Rightists In Control - 03/12/1961

By The Associated Press

Damascus, Syria, December 3. - Rightists won sure control of Syria’s post revolution Parliament Sunday in nearly complete returns from the new republic’s first elections.

With 155 of 172 contests decided, candidates identified with the conservative political groups held 86 seats. Independents, tribal leaders, and men with no known leaning held 53, and moderate left-wingers had 16.

The strongest to emerge from the Friday and Saturday balloting, held only two months after Syrian officers revolted against President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s United Arab Republic was the old line Shaab (People’s) Party.

Moslem Group Gains.

Moderately right-wing, the Shaabists won 25 seats. A small right-wing group, the Watani (Nationalists), won 15 seats, and unaffiliated conservatives won 37. Adding to conservative strength in one of the election’s significant results was the rise of the Moslem Brotherhood, once an arch reactionary organisation with fanatical overtones. This group, grown considerably milder with the years and now concerned mainly with strict observance of the Koran, won at least seven seats.

Despite the good showing of the moderately leftist Baathist Socialist party, left-wingers in general suffered a crushing defeat throughout Syria. In the industrial city of Homs, centre of far-left feeling, the Shaab Party and allied candidates took 10 of 11 seats. Only one left-winger - and he a moderate - withstood the tide.

 

Damascus Still Out

The capital city of Damascus, birthplace of the September 28 revolt and always at the center of Syria’s political stage, is still to be heard from. But election workers said final results could not change and might reinforce the rightist sweep. Several leading conservative candidates, including Ex-Premier Mamoun Kuzbari, were reported on the way to victory. Kuzbari, named Premier by the military junta a day after the revolt resigned two weeks ago to run for Parliament.