Page "learned" Paragraph 619

The Ifni crisis in the fall of 1957 postponed further consideration of elections, but French consultants were called in and notices of further investigation appeared from time to time.

In January, 1958, the Minister of the Interior announced that an election law was ready to be submitted to the King, the rumors of election dates appeared once again, first for spring of 1958 and later for the summer.

Although the government was probably prepared for elections by mid-1958, the first decision was no doubt made more difficult as party strife multiplied.

In late 1957 the M.P. ( Mouvement Populaire ) appeared and in the spring of 1958 the internal strains of the Istiqlal was revealed when the third Council of Government under Balafrej was formed without support from progressive elements in the party.

The parties were on the whole unprepared for elections, while the people were still experiencing post-independence let-down and suffering the after-effects of poor harvests in 1957.