§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in deciding his policy not to send observers to the forthcoming elections in Rhodesia, what information he has obtained from Her Majesty's Government's missions in other African States regarding the extent to which free elections have been held in them in the past 10 years (a) with and (b) without an electoral register; and which African States have not held free elections in that period.
§ Mr. RowlandsWe are not responsible for independent countries in Africa. In granting independence to our former African colonies we have always transferred power to a Government representative of the people. In Rhodesia we stand by the fifth principle, endorsed by successive British Governments that independence should be granted to Rhodesia following a settlement acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of Anglo-American policy regarding United Nations-supervised elections in Rhodesia, Her Majesty's Government will consider seeking United Nations, Commonwealth or other international supervision for the one man one vote and one woman one vote elections shortly to be held and, in the event of their being satisfactory conducted recommend acceptance of the result in discharge of the fifth principle and as the basis of a democratic Zimbabwe meriting international recognition; and if he will give his reasons for his decision.
§ Mr. RowlandsInternational supervision of elections is not practicable when the basis on which the elections are to be held has not been the subject of negotiation and acceptance internationally. We have called on all the parties to accept the principle of United Nations-supervised elections, and to agree to negotiate the conditions for holding such elections.