1920 in Greece - The General Election

The General Election

The general election was duly held on November 1, delayed by the death and funeral of King Alexander. It had long been known to those who kept in contact with affairs in the Near East that the royalist People's Party under the leadership of Dimitrios Gounaris had never ceased to be powerful. But the result of the general election, despite the fact that the Liberal Party polled over 7,000 more votes than the United Opposition, was a sweeping victory for the opposition which came as a surprise in Great Britain. The Liberals were badly defeated in almost all parts of the country, and in some provinces they were literally crushed. It was stated that in the Peloponnesus, in Thessaly, and in Macedonia, there was not a single Venizelist candidate elected. The opposition were returned with a majority of 151, having secured a total of 261 seats.

On the following day Venizelos tendered to the regent the resignation of the Liberal cabinet. A cabinet was then formed by the aged statesman Dimitrios Rallis, who thereupon requested Admiral Kountouriotis to resign the regency. The Dowager Queen Olga was then appointed regent, in the expectation that King Constantine would soon return to Greece. Rallis arranged, however, that before King Constantine was formally invited to return to the throne, a plebiscite upon the question should be held. Venizelos left Greece and went to France.