§ 28. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Elections in Northern Rhodesia.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydOut of a total of 30 seats, 22 fell to be filled by elections. Two candidates were returned unopposed. 18 seats were contested. There were no nominations for two seats; the by-elections will be held on 9th April.
The state of the parties is:
- United Federal Party—13 seats.
- Central African Party—3 seats.
- African National Congress—1 seat.
- Dominion Party—1 seat.
- Independents—2 seats.
§ Mr. StonehouseIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the reason why two seats were not contested was the ridiculous provision that candidates had to have two-thirds of the Chiefs supporting their candidature and that this was impossible to achieve at a time when rains made transport conditions impossible? Will he give an undertaking that he will not allow the Governor to give in to the pressure from Sir Roy Welensky's party with regard to the appointment of the Ministers and that the Governor will retain responsibility for that?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe Governor is sending me a full report about the elections, and it will include, in particular, a report on the provision for the Chiefs' veto. Four of the six candidates in four of the six constituencies succeeded in obtaining the required certificates, and three candidates have done so for each of the two by-elections. With regard to the second part of the supplementary question, the Governor's powers remain as I defined them when I told the House about the new constitution, and he will exercise them in the proper way.
§ Mr. J. JohnsonCan the right hon. Gentleman say who the two African Ministers will be? Failing their names, can he confirm whether they will be members of Sir Roy Welensky's party, the U.F.P.? If so, it will mean that they have been elected mainly by European votes and will be speaking in the Chamber not on behalf of the people who sent them there. Indeed, they will be opposed by the Africans.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe last supplementary question from the Opposition benches asked me to ensure that the Governor made up his own mind. I am now being asked to make it up for him. He will make up his own mind.
§ Mr. JohnsonWill the right hon. Gentleman tell the House how the two Ministers will be chosen? If they are nominated by the U.F.P., obviously the Governor will then accept the decision of the leader of the majority party.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe Governor has made no statement yet, and I am not going to anticipate his statement. He will follow precisely the constitutional arrangements arrived at and clearly laid down, which were described to the House at the time.