CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 40

CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

3. ST. VINCENT

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (Mrs. Hart) referred to a memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Colonies (OPD(66) 131) on the situation in St. Vincent. This memorandum, which had not been considered by the Committee, dealt with the problems that had arisen in the progress of

St. Vincent to the status of Associated State with the United Kingdon following negotiations last year. Agreement had at that time been reached between the Government and Opposition parties in the island that the

boundaries of existing constituencies for the St. Vincent Legislature and

of those for four additional seats should be determined by the St. Vincent

Government. The expectation had been that elections due to be held in

August last year would produce a government in the island with a clear majority, but in the event the Government party had obtained a majority of

one seat with a minority of the total vote. This had led the Opposition in St. Vincent to ask that the method of fixing constituency boundaries should

be altered since they feared that the Government party might determine the

boundaries solely to accord with their own political advantage.

Negotiations with the St. Vincent Government and Opposition parties had

taken place in the last ten days and agreement had finally been reached that

the boundaries of all the constituencies in St. Vincent should be drawn by

a neutral commission nominated by the United Kingdom Government, and new

elections held on the basis of the findings of the commission before the end

of 1968. It would be necessary to make a short statement to this effect in Parliament that day before the departure of the St. Vincent representatives.

The Committee

Took note of the statement by the Minister of State for

Commonwealth Affairs.

Cabinet Office, S.W.1.

2nd February 1967

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