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might favour a republican regine and constitutional arrangements on apartheid and authoritarian lines. Mr. Smith had now published a misleading
White Paper on the "TIGER" talks and had offered sops now seen to be unconvincing - to the moderates by proposing to lift censorship "provided satisfactory alternatives to safeguard national security can be devised"
and to set up an "impartial tribunal" to review detention orders. At the
same time, to meet the extremists, he had announced the appointment of an
"impartial independent commission to report on the new future Constitution"
with a hint that the system Rhodesia needed was one of separate development
of the different communities. There had been some pressure from the Governor
on us to seize the "opportunity" for a settlement before the regime
finally closed the door. Meanwhile the Africans in Rhodesia were withdrawing
from the political scene by largely failing to register as voters.
As regards the United Kingdom Government's position, this had been
defined in the Prime Minister's own successive statements from 20th December
onwards, but questions continued to be put in Parliament on the subject and there
was a danger that the individual answers which had to be given on such
occasions might compromise our future position as a whole unless this
had been clearly thought out in advance. There was little that the
United Kingdon Government could do at present on the political front
except to make their position as regards a settlement clear.
It was
however for consideration whether there would be advantage in repeating on a suitable occasion in connected form points made in previous separate
statements. It would also be useful to consider further and in more detail
what the implications of previous statements were, in particular in regard
to a return to constitutional rule and the possible formation of a
broad-based government by Mr. Smith.
In discussion the view was expressed that while there would be advantage in considering further for our own purposes the implications of our policy for the restoration of constitutional rule, there were disadvantages in a
public restatement of our policy at this point. It was unrealistic to think
now in terms of Mr. Smith agreeing to a return to constitutional rule and the proposals for a broad-based interin government as a precursor of independence, as contemplated in the "TIGER" discussions, were no longer
apposite. We need not however insist on the establishment of a broad based
Government as a pre-condition of a return to constitutional rule and the abandonment of sanctions. Once there had been a return to the position
obtaining before the illegal declaration of independence on 11th November 1965,
d we could subsequently discuss with the lawful Rhodesian Government
measures of constitutional advance. As regards the grant of independence we were bound by the Commonwealth connunique of September 1966. If however
a new situation arose, for example the disruption of the illegal regime,it would be open to us to arrange for Commonwealth Prime Ministers to consider these terms anew.
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