Western Gadgetry? Soviets Vote No
Members of the Soviet Congress of People’s Deputies spent 20 minutes figuring out a new automatic voting system Tuesday--and then took the first vote by a show of hands.
The Dutch-made Philips computers installed in the Palace of Congresses baffled many deputies despite a lengthy explanation by Valentin Tetenov, chairman of the Information and Communications Commission. He asked for a mock vote to see how many were present, and the electronic board at the front of the hall displayed the figure 333. However, 2,106 deputies were registered.
A second attempt at using the new gadgets produced a head count of 1,985. “We have done a bit better this time but still seem to have lost a few deputies in the process,” Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev remarked.
“Equipment is equipment, but let’s elect a counting commission just in case we need it,” Gorbachev said.
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