MAGISTRATES' COURT, CAMPAIGN SIGNS, CANDIDATE MELLS, CANDIDATE COMMANDER PHILLIPS, PEOPLE QUEUEING OUTSIDE BUILDING.




Initials ERW/VS/JF/SS



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Background: IAN SMITH, THE REBEL LEADER OF THE ILLEGAL RHODESIAN REGIME, EMERGED TODAY (THURSDAY) WITH HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY INCREASED, BY A CRUSHING BY-ELECTION VICTORY FOR HIS RULING PARTY OVER RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTS. THE BY-ELECTION, HELD YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) WAS FOR THE IMPORTANT GATOOMA SET, LEFT VACANT BY THE EXPULSION OF FORMER INTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER, WILLIAM HARPER.

THE ELECTION RESULT WAS SEEN AS GIVING MR. SMITH A GREEN LIGHT TO PRESS AHEAD WITH HIS SEARCH FOR A SETTLEMENT OF THE INDEPENDENCE DISPUTE WITH BRITAIN AND WITH HIS PLANS FOR A NEW RHODESIAN CONSTITUTION.

MR. SMITH'S CONSTITUTIONAL POLICY HAS BEEN THE MOST BITTERLY DEBATED ISSUE IN CURRENT RHODESIAN POLITICS AND WAS THE ISSUE ON WHICH THE EXTREME RIGHT BUILT THEIR ELECTION CAMPAIGN. HOWEVER, THE FAR-RIGHT RHODESIA NATIONAL PARTY, FORMED BY HARD-LINE DEFECTORS FROM THE RULING RHODESIAN FRONT, DID NOT EVEN POLL ENOUGH VOTES TO SAVE IT'S CANDIDATE'S DEPOSIT.

THE RHODESIAN FRONT CANDIDATE, ALBERT MELLS, A FARMER, POLLED 810 VOTES WHILST HIS OPPONENT FORMER ROYAL NAVY COMMANDER, CHRIS PHILLIPS, GAINED ONLY 65.

IT WAS THE NATIONAL PARTY'S FIRST BID TO SECURE A SEAT IN PARLIAMENT. IT WAS DEPENDING ON SUPPORT FROM TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE GATOOMA VOTERS FOR IT'S PLATFORM OF "WHITE MAN RULE" IN RHODESIA. BUT, SINCE MR. SMITH'S PARTY WAS PROMISING MUCH THE SAME THING, THOUGH NOT QUITE AS EXTREME, THE NATIONAL PARTY FAILED TO GAIN WIDESPREAD SUPPORT.