The Bill received the support of 72 members of the Assembly, ten members opposed it, and one member abstained: other members had apparently left the Assembly in protest. The new law which consisted of 78 articles provided, inter alia, for tighter control of public meetings and associations and empowered the Supreme Court to suspend or dissolve political parties which violated the provisions of the Republic's constitution. To what extent the opposition's criticisms were justified can only be judged from the way in which this legislation was applied. Certainly, in the past some opposition groups had abused the democratic privileges of the Republic to an extent dangerous to public security.

I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Som…, loc. 842