The chamber of Commerce elections were, of course, an important event in the preparation for rural commune elections. The U.N.F.P. learned that its urban organization, which depends heavily on U.M.T. support, was most effective. The Istiqlal found that the spontaneous solidarity of the independence struggle was not easily transposed to the more concrete, precise problems of internal politics. The overall effect was probably to stimulate more party activity in the communal elections than might have otherwise taken place.

A second major point of this essay is to examine the formal arrangements for the elections. Although a somewhat technical subject, it has important political implications as the above discussion of the voting system indicated. Furthermore, the problems and solutions devised in the electoral experiences of the rapidly changing countries are often of comparative value and essential to evaluating election results. The sine qua non of the elections was naturally an impartial and standardized procedure. As the background discussion indicated there were frequently expressed doubts that a government dominated by either party could fairly administer elections. The P.D.I. and later the Popular Movement protected the Istiqlal's ``privileged position'' until the fall of Balafrej, and then the Istiqlal used the same argument, which it had previously ignored, against the pro U.N.F.P. tendencies of the Ibrahim government.