Rhodesia poll shows overwhelming white backing for Smith

Press, 2 September 1977, Page 6

Rhodesia poll shows overwhelming white backing for Smith

NZPA-Reuter

Salisbury

The Rhodesian Prime Minister (Mr lan Smith* has convincingly won the election mandate he sought from white Rhodesians so that he can either treat with the British and American envoys, who are insisting on black majority rule, or else disregard them and press on with his own plans for a settlement with moderate black nationalists.

His Rhodesian Front Party swept unchecked to victory in all 37 constituencies where results were declared before counting closed yesterday. Sweeping all opposition aside, the party appeared to be well on its way to a twothirds majority in the 66seat Parliament — a margin required to pass any change in the Rhodesian constitution. such as introducing a measure of, black participation in Government. The party was already the; biggest in the House, and the scale of its wins in ailj constituencies so f<.r made it' virtually certain of carrying; the required 44 seats when I counting resumes. Fewer than 100,000, people, mostly white, out of| a population of 6.27 million,: were eligible to vote. Mr Smith told reporters, that the results would; strengthen his hand in talks; today with the British For-: eign Secretary (Dr David Owen) and America’s United, Nations Ambassador (Mr Andrew Young). Dr Owen and Mr Young are believed to carry proposals demanding that Mr; Smith resign to make way I] for a British-appointedl i administrator who would I prepare one-man, one-vote; i elections among Rhodesia’s j six million blacks and < 270.000 whites. I They are also believed to;i be insisting that the Rhode- i I sian security forces be dis-;1 banded, and that black nat-'t ionalist guerrilla armies, 11 which have been fighting for majority rule for five years, |t be given a role. They are re-Is ported to want an interim I international peace-keeping I ‘ force. I f Mr Smith yesterday re- 1 f peated that he would never t agree to one man, one-vote,, and that he did not con-! J template an international! t peace-keeping force’s taking t over security. j f “As I’ve said I’m not opti-lt mistic about the Owen-; Young talks,’’ he said. “Well are prepared for the altema- ; tive — an internal! t settlement. We have plans - we have been working on' quietly during the election; J campaign, and we will get s on with our own internal It settlement.’’ It

,• Mr Smith’s alternative is I , believed to mean settlement, .'talks with the nationalist! ’ leaders, Bishop Abel Muzolirewa and the Rev. Ndabai'ningi Sithole, deemed moderates. to the exclusion of the 1 guerrillas whose “Patriotic[ 1 1 Front” is backed by in-' > fluential black African • States. - But the two clergymen i have repeatedly stressed! ; they will enter discussions! - with the Rhodesian Front! • Government only if the ; fi objective is a one-man, one-' vote franchise. Mr Smith called the elec-! 1 tion on July 18 for a nego- : I riating mandate and to crush lithe Right-wing Rhodesian t' Action Party formed by 12 ; I white rebel Rhodesian Front iiM.Ps who left the party beI cause they opposed legislation to scrap much racial (discrimination in Rhodesia. Crush them he did. In no seat whose result was an.nounced by the time counting stopped did the RAP. poll , higher than three figures. The Rhodesian Front more often than not counted its voted , into the thousands. In three-cornered contests' with the Rhodesian Front! and the National Unifying I Force — which basically sup-1 ports the British-American [ ■ plans —it came a poor third;' I in all but a couple of seats.! i Only 0.3 per cent of 2.4 1 , million adult blacks registered to vote. Most blacks I either did not meet income, age. and educational require- 1 ments under the present limited franchise, or they dismissed the election as yet,! another exercise in white,' power politics. Mr Sithole commented on; the election that it did not!' solve Rhodesia’s problems I' But he supposed most whites;' “would rather rally behind;! Smith than behind a new !1 face at this point in his-|t tory.” p A spokesman of Bishop ! Muzorewa’s group said it' i attached no significance top the election, repeating its call; I for a transfer of power top the black majority. i The faction based in Salts- p bury of one party of the I guerrilla Patriotic Front —[t that of Mr Robert Mugabe! - had no comment. ;) But an official of Mr c Joshua Nkomo’s front faction j said that whites “would like I to go about with the deviljc that is known to them.” t