The World - News from June 9, 1985

Hungarian turnout was heavy in parliamentary and municipal elections under a new law requiring at least two candidates for each seat--a rare choice in Eastern Europe. Elections had been uncontested in Hungary since 1949, one year after the Communist Party consolidated power. Poland, which has introduced a similar system, and Hungary are the only Soviet Bloc states to require multiple candidates, but the move is unlikely to have much impact because of the limited powers of Parliament and local councils.