GR $630
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 07190OZ MAR 80
TO IMMEDIATE SALISBURY
CONFIDENTIAL
Ролик
TELEGRAM NUMBER 718 OF 7 MARCH.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 973: INDEPENDENCE.
1. WE AGREE THAT MORE ELABORATE CELEBRATIONS THAN AT ONE TIME SEEMED LIKELY ARE NOW DESIRABLE. THERE WILL, OF COURSE, BE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS: THE DATE OF INDEPENDENCE MAY NOT BE KNOWN UNTIL 10 DAYS OR TWO WEEKS BEFOREHAND WHICH WILL CUT DOWN THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR NOTIFYING FOREIGN GUESTS: PRESUMABLY THERE MAY ALSO BE PROBLEMS OVER AGREEING A NEW NATIONAL FLAG AND NATIONAL ANTHEM IN TIME.
2. THERE IS NO SINGLE MODEL FOR INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS: IT IS BASICALLY FOR YOU AND THE NEW GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT. BUT THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE MAIN EVENTS WHICH HAVE FEATURED IN EARLIER CELEBRATIONS:
A. ARRIVAL OF ROYAL REPRESENTATIVE AND GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE (GOVERNOR TO MEET, GUARD OF HONOUR, NATIONAL ANTHEM).
B. INDEPENDENCE DINNER OR EQUIVALENT HOSTED BY GOVERNMENT.
C. FLAG CEREMONY (NORMALLY AT MIDNIGHT IN A PUBLIC PARK OR SIMILAR: UNION JACK LOWERED, NEW FLAG RAISED, NATIONAL ANTHEMS PLAYED,
21 GUN SALUTE).
D. SWEARING IN OF PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER.
E. ROYAL REPRESENTATIVE READS MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN: MESSAGE
THEN HANDED TO PRESIDENT.
F. PRESIDENT REPLIES.
G. CONSTITUTIONAL DOCUMENTS HANDED OVER.
Ho
BRITISH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE READS MESSAGE FROM PRIME MINISTER: NEW PRIME MINISTER REPLIES.
J. DEPARTURE OF ROYAL REPRESENTATIVE (AND POSSIBLY GOVERNOR): PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER AND BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER/AMBASSADOR TO SEE OFF AT AIRPORT.
3. THE ABOVE IS A BASIC LIST: EVEN SO NOT ALL THE ITEMS ON IT MAY BE FEASIBLE PARTICULARLY IF NO NEW FLAG HAS BEEN CHOSEN BEFORE INDEPENDENCE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONAL EXTRAS EG PUBLIC DISPLAYS, SPORTS, PARADES ETC. IN THE CASE OF A REPUBLIC, NO PARLIAMENTARY CEREMONY IS NECESSARY,
4. THE FLAG CEREMONY IS USUALLY HELD AT MIDNIGHT TOGETHER WITH THE SWEARING IN. WE ARE CHECKING TO SEE WHETHER THERE IS ANY LEGAL IMPEDIMENT TO HAVING A GAP BETWEEN THE LAPSE OF THE GOVERNOR'S POWERS AT MIDNIGHT AND THE SWEARING IN OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT, SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO ARRANGE IT AT A MORE CONVENIENT TIME. 5. THERE ARE OCCASIONALLY EVENTS IN LONDON ON INDEPENDENCE DAY EG A THANKSGIVING CEREMONY OR RECEPTION. BUT THIS HARDLY SEEMS APPROPRIATE IN RHODESIA'S CASE SINCE THERE ARE NO RHODESIAN REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
?
CONFIDENTIAL
/6. IT IS
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.