Moderate Rightist Politicians Gain Leads in Syrian Elections - 03/12/1961

By Dana Adams Schmidt for the New York Times

 

Kuzbari ahead in Damascus - Former People’s Party in Strong Showing

 

Damascus, Syria, December 3. - Nearly complete election results indicated tonight that Dr. Mamoun Kuzbari and other moderate Right Wingers would control the new Syrian Parliament.

 

Returns for 135 of the 172 seats had been received. However, the tally for the important Damascus city race was not finished.

 

Dr. Kuzbari, who headed the Provisional Government setup after the break with the United Arab Republic two months ago, was leading 191 candidates for the seventeen Damascus seats. He was closely followed by most of the members of his cabinet who resigned to take part in the election

 

81 Conservative Win

 

Khaled el-Azm, a prominent aspirant to the Presidency, also was high on the lists. Mr. el-Azm once led a mission to Moscow and collaborated with the Communists in political manoeuvring before Syria joined Egypt in the United Arab Republic.

 

According to an unofficial breakdown, eighty-one conservatives, many of them members of the old Shaab party, were assured of election. Other certain winners were said to be four independents, and fourteen moderate Left-wingers, Communists or Communist sympathizers.

 

Although parties were not allowed to run officially in this election, it appeared that the People’s party would control twenty-three seats, the nationalist Al Watani twelve and the Moslem Brotherhood seven. Eleven of the fourteen Leftists are associated with the Socialist Resurrection People’s (Baath) party.

 

Vote Holds Surprises

 

Seven of the Baath seats were won in Hama, where the list is headed by Akram Hourani, one of the men who led Syria into the union with Egypt. In most other places the Left-wingers failed in Homs, the Shaab got ten of eleven seats in spite of traditional Baath strength.

 

One of the surprises the Moslem Brotherhoods showing. Although little is known about the party’s real leaning, it is believed to have mellowed since the days when it was one of the most extreme and violent factions in Arab politics. Its thesis is that Arab life, international and domestic should be regulated by the Koran.

 

The character of the new Parliament will be determined by many new right-of-center members, although phases about “socialism” probably will be voiced by all factions.

 

A relatively heavy vote, probably exceeding 50 per cent of the electorate, was regarded as an eloquent answer to Egyptian radio broadcasts urging the Syrians to boycott the elections.