WEEKLY SUMMARY -- BURNHAM RECEIVES CLEAR MAJORITY IN GUYANESE ELECTIONS

Created: 12/20/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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BURNHAM RECEIVES CLEAR MAJORITY IN GUYANESE ELECTIONS Prime Minister Burnhamar* majority of tne domestic vote but the newly enfranchized overseas Guyanese backed him solidly to giveeats inman parliament.

Burnham Receives Clear Majority in Guyanese Elections

Prime Minister Forbes Burnhamlearin the electionsnd will notoalition partner when he forms the next government.

Burnhamareof the domestic vote, but the newly enfranchised overseas Guyanese backed him solidly to give his People's Nationala comfortableseats inman National.

Relations between Burnham and Peter D'Aguiar, leader of the United Force party that until recentlyember of the government coalition, deteriorated steadily throughout the campaign, and Burnham was determined not to have to rely on him again. The prime minister, in fact, made his biggest election gains at the

expense of the United Force, which lost almost half of the voters who backed it in4 election. Tha United Force won only four seats and pro-Communist Cheddi Jagan's People's Progressive Partyeats. Burnham also won some votes among the East Indians, who in the past have almost unanimously supported Jagan.

Election day was quiet,)

s Both defeated parties have

consistently charged that the election was rigged against them, and are now stridently pressing their claim. The carping will further antagonize Burnham anda;or nuisance to him, but in the long run is likely to have little, effect. For the present at least, the Guyanese public, as opposed to the defeatedwill be eager to forget politics and turn to the trad^

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