\ ol 2. No. 'I CPubli!>hed Fortmghtly) 29rh April, 1968 CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION REPORTS TO

The CommJ!>!>ion has not recom- THE GOVERNMENT mended any special representation T HE Constitutional Commission set up by the Rhodesian for Asians and Coloureds Gol·emment on March 1, 1967, presented its report to the Officer Administering the Government, His Excellency Mr. ~o otber boiM The Shona, the Ndebelc: and the Euro­ Clifford Dupont, on April 5. pean) \\ere: a ll in turn mtgrants, conquer­ ors and settlers and all now know no The summaries which follow are extracts from the report. other home. We have (say the Commtmonel')) Prevention of racial political lt might transpire that the 20 accepted as a fundamental pnnciplc that domination needed a solution based African seats would be replaced by is the permanent and rightful home of peoples or different origins and substantially on ultimate racial members elected by Common Roll backgrounds and does not belong ro one parity of political representation. voters, who would be mainly Afri­ race or ethnic group alone. says the Report. The Commission cans, or by some other form of ICo•t11Hd o• pqf 31 did nm visualize permanent polari­ African representation. The Offic:" Administering tbe Go'"em· zation of political forces on racial However. the report say!>, any meot, His Exc:tlltoc:y Mr. Cliftord lane!>. But if there was division on Oupoat, officially re«hts the report of change m the composition of the rbe Con5tilutlooal Commission from the racial lines the parity principle Ouiirman, Mr. W. R. Wbaley. On the Legislative Assembly at that time left are Mr. L C. Mzlneeli and Mr. would produce a balance in which would be for the Parliament of the S. E. Morris and on the rlgbc are Chief the power of each side would be Slmoa Si&ola and Mr. R. H. Cole, the day to decide. other four members or the Colll.llliS§ion. equal. The Commissioners believed Afri­ can majority rule was an unsatis­ factory !>Oiution and that it would be irrespon!oible to recommend it. The key to parity representation in the Le~islative Assembly lay in control of the Common Roll seats. Initially. Europeans would control 60 of the 80 seats. But as Africans gained experience and confidence they could gradu­ ally gain control of the 20 Common Roll scab, resulting in equal racial representation in the Legislative Assembly www.rhodesia.me.uk RHODE~IAN C 0\l\IFN I !I.R\ 29th April. l96H

r-~ - UNITARY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: ~ Oath of loyalty BICAMERAL FORM OF PARLIAMENT HE retcnuon of a unitary ")stem t•f government with a bicameral fomt ~ A~~~.!~.e.~~~~~ oa