The General Election

1. What is the voting age set by the Constitution? 2. What are the purposes of the election campaign? 3. How often are elections to the Su­preme Soviet held in our country? 4. What is a constituency? 5. How are candidates chosen to the local Soviet (the Supreme Soviet)?

The Day of the Election (Polling Day)

1. Why is it necessary that voters should be registered before Polling Day? 2. How long are Polling stations open on Polling Day? 3. What does the inside of a Polling station look like? 4. How does a Polling Clerk check the names of the voters? 5. What does he hand to the vot­ers? 6. What is a ballot box for?

Ex. 28. Read the article from the "Morning Star", answer the questions, using the vocabulary of the lesson, and discuss it.

I'VE JOINED THE PARTY WTOCH FIGHTS FOR SOCIALISM

by Norman Munnery

The struggle of the miners and the Upper Clyde workers has shown that by determination and working-class solidarity, the actions of those whose only concern is personal greed**, can be effectively checked.

During the past 11 years of Labour Party membership, I have seen the disappointment of the few true Socialists who struggle to change its bourgeois ideology to one of Marxism Leninism. Their efforts, I am sure, could be better spent organising within the Communist Party.

For this past year as a member of the Labour group on the Brighton Council I have been constantly struggling against the reactionary ele­ments controlling that group.

Time and again I have had to vote for motions that betray hopes of the working class by their revisionism, while Marxist ideology has been suppressed.

From out of this personal struggle has come an increasing awareness of the role of the Communist Party, not only in the constituencies and in the factories, but also within the student movement of which I am part.

Having recognised this, I have been able to join those comrades who have dedicated themselves* to the Socialist struggle as opposed to a political career which has nothing to do with the true needs of the work­ing class.

I shall continue to represent my electors as a member of Brighton Council and in doing so hope that I can influence the ideology of the Labour group.

The working-class movement is growing in strength, with victories behind us we are confident of greater victories ahead.

(Abridged)

Questions

1. How long has the author been a member of the Labour Party? 2. What conclusion did he come to as a result of his experience as mem­ber of the Labour Party? 3. What conviction does the author express in the opening paragraph of his statement? 4. What facts does the author give to prove his point? 5. What has the successful strike action of the miners and Upper Clyde workers shown? 6. What did he come to realise concerning the role of the Communist Party? 7. Why did he decide to give his support to the Communist Party? 8. How does he see his duty as member of the Brighton City Council? 9. What gives him confidence in the Communist Party?

Ex. 29. Read, the following. Answer the questions. Retell the passage in English.

БРИТАНСКАЯ ДЕМОКРАТИЯ В ДЕЙСТВИИ

Каким образом в Англии, где преобладает рабочее население-на выборах может побеждать партия консерваторов, партия крупно, го капитала? Почему рабочий сплошь и рядом голосует за классово­го противника, капиталиста?

Посещение предвыборных собраний в Англии в какой-то мере дает ответ на этот вопрос.

... Дело было в Далвиче, одном из пригородов Лондона. В здании местной школы выступали трое кандидатов в члены парламента: кон­серватор, лейборист и либерал.

Собрание походило на вечер вопросов и ответов: кандидатам, си­девшим рядом с председательствующим на небольшой эстраде, зада­вали из публики вопросы: на каждый из них все трое отвечали по оче­реди. Благодаря такой процедуре, особенно наглядно проявилось по­разительное сходство между избирательными лозунгами соперничаю­щих партий.

Одним из первых задали вопрос о путях обеспечения мира. Каждый из трех кандидатов ответил, что его партия ставит интересы мира пре­выше всего. Консерватор уверял: его партия больше других озабочена тем, чтобы на переговорах четырех держав была достигнута полней­шая договоренность. Призывая собравшихся голосовать за тори, он воскликнул: «От этого зависит мир во всем мире!» Но два других пар­ламентских кандидата клялись в своей приверженности к миру почти в тех же самых выражениях.

Такое же единодушие кандидаты обнаружили и в области внутрен­ней политики. Из публики спросили о пенсиях старикам. Оказалось, что каждый из кандидатов безусловно стоит за увеличение пенсий и будет считать это чуть ли не главной своей задачей. Задали вопрос о местном транспорте, который оставляет желать много лучшего, все трое обещали добиваться улучшения автобусного сообщения в Дал­виче.

Иными словами, стоило закрыть глаза, и вы уже не могли ска­зать, кто сейчас отвечает на вопрос: консерватор, лейборист или ли­берал.

Неудивительно, что рядовому англичанину -ірудно разобраться, что к чему, тем более, что обещания обычно остаются обещаниями.

Questions

1. What meeting did the author attend in Dulwich? 2. Who had been invited to speak at the meeting? 3. What did the author come to understand while listening to the questions and answers? 4. What could be said of the election programs of the rival parties? 5. Why was it next to impossible to tell the difference between the election plat­forms of the candidates? 6. How was the first question concerning the ways of safeguarding peace answered by each of the candidates? 7. What assurances did the Tory candidate give? 8. What did the Labour and Liberal candidates swear to? 9. What accounted for the exceptional unanimity of the three candidates on internal matters? 10. What did they promise concerning old-age pensions? 11. What other problems were raised at the meeting? 12. What conclusions did the author come to?

Ex. 30. Retell the following in English.

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