Namibia (Hansard, 3 February 1982)

§ 3. Mr. Deakins
asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement about progress of negotiations towards Namibian independence.

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Richard Luce)
The Five have received replies from all concerned to their revised proposals for constitutional principles. Agreement has been secured on many points, but some items raised by the front-line States and SWAPO require further consideration before the next phase of the negotiations can be tackled. The Five's intention remains to begin implementation of the United Nations plan during 1982.

§ Mr. Deakins
Does the Minister believe that it is helpful for any party in these negotiations to seek to impose artificial deadlines?

§ Mr. Luce
It is right to keep to objectives. If we do not set objectives, it is difficult to get a move on in negotiations.

Mr. Spicer
Does my hon. Friend believe that it is helpful, in having the elections, for the new Secretary-General of the United Nations to reaffirm that SWAPO is the sole legitimate representative of the Namibian people? How can other parties possibly enter elections under UN auspices and feel that they will get a fair crack of the whip?

§ Mr. Luce
As my hon. Friend knows, the Government take the view that it is not for any other organisation or country to determine who are the representatives of the people of Namibia. It is for the people of Namibia to decide. I have noted the exchange of correspondence between the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the South African Foreign Minister, Mr. Botha. This 289 increases the attention that must be given to the supreme importance of working out in phase 2 the impartiality of the electoral process to the parties concerned.

§ Mr. Clinton Davis
Does the Minister agree that there is some substance in the SWAPO assertion, backed by the front-line States, that the present revised proposals relating to electoral change are unnecessarily complex, having regard to the fact that we are dealing with an unsophisticated electorate composed of people who have been under the heel of an apartheid regime for several decades?

§ Mr. Luce
The proposals on the electoral system are designed to be as fair as possible to all parties and all groups within Namibia. There has been a reaction from SWAPO and the front-line States on this point. We are trying to seek a way through. We hope that it will be possible before too long to break through in order to move on to phase 2.

§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton
Does my hon. Friend agree that, in contradiction of the view expressed by the hon. Member for Hackney, Central (Mr. Davis), the political situation in Namibia is extremely complicated and not as simple as the hon. Gentleman would have us believe? Does he further agree that the impartiality of the United Nations is of the utmost importance if the United Nations is to carry any weight with the ethnic groups in that country? Is it right that the new secretary-general, in his statement to the Council for Namibia, should totally ignore the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, which represents all ethnic groups within Namibia and has made such progress towards breaking down apartheid in Namibia and South-West Africa?

§ Mr. Luce
I agree that the impartiality of the electoral process concerns all the parties. I have no doubt that when we reach phase 2—I hope this will be soon—there will be a great deal of discussion. It is important to assure the parties that the electoral process will be impartial.