Allied Commission for Austria

During June and July 1949 the Allied Council and its Executive Committee considered a series of election laws for Austria. The constitutional law establishing procedures and regulations for the conduct of the 1949 national elections was approved by the Council after considerable debate over its relationship to a Council decision of September 1945, which required Allied Council authorization for new political parties. Approval of the election law was eventually given on the understanding that it did not conflict with previous Council decisions. The Council also discussed in detail a Vienna city election law dividing the city into 23 electoral districts, which was opposed by the communist party as putting it at a disadvantage; the Soviet representative refused to approve the law and stated that unless it was withdrawn he would not approve a constitutional law defining the borders between Vienna and lower Austria, making elections impossible. The Vienna city council subsequently modified the city law and it was approved by the Allied Council, the United States High Commissioner (Keyes) noting his “regret and disappointment” over “tampering” with the Austrian legislative process.