§ Mr. G. M. Thomsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if, in relation to his proposed constitutional changes in Northern Rhodesia, he will give an estimate of the percentages of African and European voters, respectively, that will be represented by the qualifying condition of 400 votes.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodIt is not possible to give a firm estimate as this will depend on the delimitation of constituencies, registration and the size of the poll. But as an illustration, if it were possible for the African and European electorates to be distributed evenly throughout the constituencies, and if there were a 70 per cent. poll, a successful candidate would have to secure 12½ per cent. of the European vote (about 280) and 400 (about 6 per cent.) of the African vote. The Governor's dispatch (Cmnd. 1423) in paragraph 13 explains the reasons for having either a percentage or a fixed number in the qualifying percentage.