Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Eastern Europe, The Soviet Union, Volume VI

871.00/10–1646

The British Embassy to the Department of State

Aide-Mémoire

(31/46)

His Majesty’s Government are of the opinion that it would be advantageous to address a note to the Roumanian Government in connection with the undertakings given by the Roumanian Government to assure free and unfettered elections.

2. The following is the proposed text of a note which His Majesty’s Government are considering and which, subject to any comments by the Department of State, they will send to the Roumanian Government:—

“I have been instructed by His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to inform you that he has been glad to note that the Roumanian Government intend to hold elections at an early date. His Majesty’s Government are deeply conscious of the grave responsibility which they assumed, together with the United States and Soviet Governments, at the Crimean and Potsdam Conferences regarding the holding of free and unfettered elections in Roumania. His Majesty’s Government recall that, during the visit of representatives of the Soviet, United Kingdom, and United States Governments to Bucharest in January 1946, in connexion with the implementation of the decisions reached by the three powers at Moscow, the head of the Roumanian Government gave certain assurances to Lord Inver-chapel, then Sir Archibald Clark-Kerr, and accepted the obligation to hold free and unfettered elections. It was on the basis of these assurances that His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and the United States Government agreed to recognise the present Roumanian Government.

(2) “There is thus an obligation on the Roumanian Government to ensure that the Roumanian people shall be given an early opportunity freely to choose the Government under which they wish to live, and His Majesty’s Government consider that they have both the right and the duty to bring the following to the attention of the Roumanian Government.

(3) “His Majesty’s Government note that the Roumanian Government have promulgated a law for the compiling of electoral rolls and the subsequent conduct of elections. It is the view of His Majesty’s Government that certain features of this law are not entirely consonant with democratic practice. In particular they have noted the following points:—

(a) The electoral law provides for representatives of all parties to be present at the counting of votes in the voting sections. The determination of the final voting in the constituencies and throughout the country, however, is the responsibility of the electoral bureaux and of the Central Electoral Commission, which are exclusively composed of representatives of the present Roumanian Government.

(b) Although candidates may eventually obtain certified copies of the results of each voting section, there is no provision for the immediate official publication of these results.

(c) Appeal against irregularities of the counting of votes must be made to the electoral bureaux or the Central Commission, both of which are under direct Government influence.

(4) “Moreover, His Majesty’s Government have been concerned to learn from H.M. representatives in Budapest [Bucharest] that certain grave irregularities have occurred in connexion with the preparations for the elections. His Majesty’s Government had occasion to draw the attention of the Roumanian Government to certain of these facts in their notes of the 27th May and of the 14th June, to which they have received no satisfactory reply. The Roumanian Government must be aware that the essential element in the holding of free elections is that all democratic parties should have equal freedom and equal facilities to engage in political activity in the period preceding the elections. This condition is at present clearly disregarded. It appears that the opposition parties in Roumania are subjected to acts of intimidation. Their meetings are frequently broken up by armed adherents of other parties, and some weeks ago one member of the Executive of the National Peasant Party was assassinated and two more have been assaulted and severely beaten while endeavouring to conduct their electoral campaign. These and other acts of violence have, it would seem, taken place with the connivance of the police and local authorities, and with the approval of the Government. In the presentation of their views the Opposition parties have also been hampered by the censorship which the Roumanian Government exercises over the press and by the refusal of any facilities for free speech.

(5) “It has further been brought to the attention of His Majesty’s Government that the arrangements for registering voters are not proceeding in accordance with the provisions of the electoral law. It is noted that in Bucharest the time limit for registration has been restricted to fifteen days, which is too short a time to allow all those wishing to vote to have their names inscribed in the registers. Moreover, there is evidence that local authorities responsible for the registration of voters are requesting details of the applicants’ political views and are discriminating against voters on the basis of such declarations or because of their known political views. Registration books have been refused to many persons and the number of persons figuring on the published lists of voters is often considerably less than the number of persons who endeavoured to register.

(6) “In view of the foregoing, His Majesty’s Government wish to emphasise that among other conditions it is essential, in the carrying out of the elections as envisaged by the Crimea and Potsdam Declarations,—

(a) That all democratic and anti-Nazi parties should be allowed equal facilities to conduct their election campaigns without discriminatory restriction of normal electoral activities and without the threat of physical intimidation. The phrase, ‘all democratic and anti-Nazi parties’ should clearly include the following, namely:—

• National Peasant Party—led by M. Iuliu Maniu
• The National Liberal Party—led by M. Constantine Bratianu
• The Social Democratic Independent Party—led by M. Constantine Titel Petrescu.

(b) That all these parties should be represented on all electoral commissions at all levels, and that the votes should be counted in the presence of representatives of all parties.

(c) That the official record of the results should be published immediately in each voting district.

(d) That there should be an adequate system of appealing to an independent authority in the event of election disputes; and

(e) That adequate time and facilities should be granted so as to enable all members of the electorate to register and that no person should be required to state his political views or be discriminated against on account of his known political views.

(7) “His Majesty’s Government are confident that the Roumanian Government will take into account the views represented above when making arrangements for this election.

(8) “The United Kingdom political representative in Bucharest has on several occasions requested information as to the date on which elections are to be held. Mr. Bevin trusts that a reply will now be given.”

3. His Majesty’s Embassy is instructed to ask for an early expression of opinion by the State Department on the text of the above note and to enquire whether the United States Government will be prepared to address an analogous communication to the Roumanian Government.

Washington, 16 October, 1946.