REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED Authority State Leher Tahz 8: W2, NaRa Cz: 2498 twenty seven members to twenty three.
With the election of nine members the combined opposition will have a total of seventeen deputies in the coming Congress, as opposed to its present thirteen. While this sizeable minority will doubtless prove to be a thorn in the side of the Government, the fact that the opposition tends to break up into segments, and the fact that the Administration can apparently count upon maintaining its alliance with the Vanguardia Popular Party renders it likely that the Government will be able to maintain a fairly firm grip on the legislature.
It should be noted, however, that the five deputies of the Vanguardia Popular Party will be in a much stronger position in Congress than has been the case previously. Should Manuel MORA come to the parting of the ways with President Picado it can be seen that by combining his forces with those of the opposition he could at any given time come within one vote of blocking any Government sponsored legislation.
Another interesting speculation is the complexion of the National Republican Vanguardia Popular alliance. It will be remembered that there has always been a schism within the ranks of the National Republican Party itself. Heretofore, President Picado has been able to count upon but a portion of the National Republican representation as his personal followers, while the majority of the group has been more receptive to following the lead of the Calderón Guardia brothers. The general feeling is that the Calderons have by the recent election further solidified their hold upon the National Republican Party, although obviously not upon Congress as a whole. Inasmuch as the Calderóns and Mora remain on the best of terms it can be seen that the President, in order to obtain favorable action upon any specific piece of legislation, will have to have the prior approval of both the Calderonistas and Mora group.
While the opposition is united in theory it is in actuality united only in a negative sense; that is to say, its unanimity is absolute in opposing the Government but there remain factions within the opposition pledged to the leadership of various individuals. It is believed that ex President Cortés, Dr. Pofla, and Otilio Ulate all still entertain presidential aspirations, for which reason there is bound to be a certain maneuvering for position, and shifting of forces, within the opposition itself.
An outstanding fact is the manner in whioh the elections themselves were conducted. As reported previously, President Picado left no stone unturned to give the country the impression that he was determined that the elections should be free from violence and governmental interference, thus actually representing the will of the electorate. During the weok before the elections Picado issued a statement to the press nearly every day in which he analyzed the rather irresponsible charges of the opposition, and recounted in some detaii the steps