Colonial Council elections were held in French Cochinchina on 16 April 1939.Justin Corfield (2014) Historical Dictionary of Ho Chi Minh City, Anthem Press, pxxi
Electoral system The 24 members of the consisted of ten members elected by French citizens, ten by Vietnamese who were classed as French subjects, two by the Chamber of Commerce and two by the Chamber of Agriculture.Paul H. Kratoska (2001) South East Asia, Colonial History: High imperialism (1890s-1930s), Taylor & Francis, p311 Most of the population did not qualify for the franchise.
Results Amongst the Vietnamese electorate, three Trotskyist candidates Tạ Thu Thâu, Trần Văn Thạch and Phan Văn Hùm received around 80% of the vote;Peter M Dunn (1985) The First Vietnam War, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, p8 the pro-French received 15% and Stalinists candidates 1%.Allen Myers (2004) The Vietnamese Revolution and Its Leadership, Resistance Books, p32
Aftermath The defeat of the Stalinism led to the Indochinese Communist Party splitting, with continuing to lead the official faction of the party and heading a breakaway.Frank N Trager (1959) Marxism in Southeast Asia: A Study of Four Countries, Volume 7, Stanford University Press, p143 The central issue of contention between the Stalinist and Trotskyist factions was whether the proletariat or the peasantry should lead the revolution in Indochina. Despite their electoral victory, the Trotskyists soon declined in popularity due to infighting and their support for a class which had not yet been fully developed in the region.
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