From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland election, 1953
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland election,
1953
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland general elec- gins formed the Federal Party to fight the election, merg-
tion of December 15, 1953 was the first election to the ing his own United Party with the opposition Rhodesia
legislative assembly of the Federation of Rhodesia and Party and incorporating supporters in Northern Rhode-
Nyasaland, which had been formed a few months before. sia and Nyasaland. Several members of other opposition
The election saw a landslide victory for the Federal Party parties in Southern Rhodesia who supported federation
under Godfrey Huggins, who had been Prime Minister of also decided to join the Federal Party. Among them were
Southern Rhodesia for the past 20 years. William Eastwood, from the Rhodesia Labour Party,
whose departure was prompted by the initial decision of
Composition of the Federal his Party to fight the elections: Eastwood felt that this
would divide supporters of federation. Another opposi-
Assembly tion member going over to the Federal Party was Ian
Smith, who had been elected as a Liberal candidate in the
Voters elected 35 members of a unicameral Federal
1948 general election.
Assembly: 14 from Southern Rhodesia constituencies, 8
Opponents of federation formed the Confederate Par-
from Northern Rhodesia constituencies, and four from
ty, which advocated a system in the Rhodesias akin to
Nyasaland. In addition, there were three members from
apartheid in South Africa. This issue was also raised by
each territory representing African interests: one of
Huggins who campaigned vigorously against it. Huggins
these was a European and two were African. In Southern
believed the policy was unpopular and impractical. A
Rhodesia only, these positions were elected; in the other
group called the Progressive Party was formed to offer
territories, the Governor appointed the European mem-
voters a party of the centre-left, but swiftly dissolved
ber, while an electoral college chose the African mem-
when it found organising a difficulty and realised it
bers.
would not be able to nominate more than about two can-
didates. There were a few independent candidates, most
Electoral qualifications notably two in Northern Rhodesia. Dr Alexander Scott in
Lusaka and Norman Lacey in the copperbelt constituency
When the Federal constitution was agreed at the London
of Nkana-Chingola both advocated a liberal racial policy
conference of 1953, the qualification for electors in
similar to that which the Progressive Party had been in-
Northern and Southern Rhodesia was taken as the same
tending to offer.
as those in operation for territorial elections in those ter-
One unusual court case arose after nominations. Gas-
ritories. Nyasaland did not have direct elections at this
ton Thornicroft, a mixed-race man who was described as
point and so was excluded until the Legislative Council
"living like a European", was refused nomination for the
there enacted proper provisions.
Southern Rhodesia constituency for Europeans to repre-
At the election day, the electorate was comprised as
sent African interests on the grounds that he was not a
follows:
European. He challenged the decision in court but was
Territory European Asian Coloured African Total unsuccessful.
electors electors electors electors
Southern 48,869 594 570 441 50,474
Rhodesia
Results
Northern 14,588 856 3 The
15,447 state of the parties was:
Rhodesia Party Members
Nyasaland 983 75 - - 1,058 Northern Nyasaland Southern Total
Total 64,440 2,095 444 66,979 Rhodesia Rhodesia
Federal Party 7 4 13 24
Election campaign Independents 4 3 3 10
Confederate - - 1 1
The advent of the Federation caused a profound shift in Party
the structure of politics in the Rhodesias. Godfrey Hug-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland election, 1953
Total 11 7 17 35 Dauti Lawton Yamba Ind
Specially appointed European member
Constituency results Territory Member Party
Northern Rhodesia NORTHERN Dr. John Fearby Campbell Haslam Ind
RHODESIA (resigned, December 20, 1954)
Ordinary members Sir John Smith Moffat (appointed Ind
Constituency Candidate Party Votes % December 22, 1954)
Electorate and
turnout Nyasaland
BROKEN HILL Roland Welensky FP 817 87.3
1,552 (60.3%)
Ordinary members
William Kirkwood CP 119 12.7
Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
KAFUE Guillaume FP 441 69.1
Electorate and
1,015 (62.9%) François Marais
turnout
Van Eeden
NYASALAND Rupert Cecil Buc- FP 903 87.3
John Gaunt CP 197 30.9
Four members quet
LIVINGSTONE John Cranmer FP 671 73.0 1,058 (85.8%) John Foot FP 879
1,377 (66.7%) Graylin
Paul Frederick Br- FP 822
Frank Sheridan CP 248 27.0
ereton
Derby
Malcolm Palliser FP 808
LUANSHYA- Vincent Thomas FP 1,326 72.1
Barrow
MUFULIRA Joyce
3,066 (60.0%) Pranlal Dayaram Ind 105 9.7
Douglas Edgar CP 513 27.9
Lalsodagarwala
Charsley
Alibhai Adambhai Ind 85
LUANGWA Frank Bruce FP 446 81.1
Desai
889 (61.9%) Robertson
Charles Walsh CP 29 3.0
Charles Benjamin CP 104 18.9
Dodkins Specially elected African members
LUSAKA Dr Alexander Ind 758 51.8
Territory Member Party
2,172 (67.4%) Scott
NYASALAND Wellington Manoah Chirwa Ind
Ernest Walter FP 626 42.8
Sargeant Clement Robin Kumbikano Ind
Raymond Beres- CP 79 5.4
Specially appointed European member
ford Pakenham
Territory Member Party
NDOLA Frank Stephen FP 907 81.5
1,946 (57.2%) Owen NYASALAND Andrew Beveridge Doig (resigned, Ind
June 24, 1958)
Willem Hugo Van CP 206 18.5
Zyl
Southern Rhodesia
NKANA- George Welling- FP 1,819 78.2
CHINGOLA ton Rex L’Ange Ordinary members
3,490 (66.6%) Edward Brockman CP 392 16.9 Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
Hovelmeier Electorate and
Norman Henry Ind 115 4.9 turnout
Lacey BORDER Benjamin Disraeli FP 1,886 62.7
3,618 (83.2%) Goldberg
Specially elected African members
Andrew Skeen CP 1,123 37.3
Territory Member Party
BULAWAYO Donald Macintyre FP 1,789 69.3
NORTHERN RHODESIA Mateyo Kakumbi Ind 3,401 (75.9%) Arthur Lear Smith CP 793 30.7
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland election, 1953
BULAWAYO William Hives FP 1,961 71.0 Specially elected African members
SUBURBS Eastwood Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
3,575 (77.3%) William Shaw CP 801 29.0 Electorate and
DARWIN John Moore FP 1,946 69.1 turnout
3,547 (79.4%) Caldicott MASHONALAND Jasper Ind 9,447 64.9
Richard Hunter CP 872 30.9 26,049 (55.9%) Zengeza Sa-
Christie vanhu
MIDLANDS Ian Douglas Smith FP 1,148 44.8 Stanlake John Ind 5,120 35.1
3,584 (71.5%) William
Robert Williamson Ind 785 30.6
Thompson
William Henry CP 629 24.6 Samkange
Weedon
MATABELELAND Masotsha Ind 10,558 81.5
MREWA Neville Gwynne FP 1,816 61.7 24,425 (53.1%) Mike Hove
3,664 (80.3%) Barrett
Joshua Ind 2,400 18.5
George Richard CP 1,126 38.3 Mqabuko Nko-
Musgrave mo
SALISBURY Leslie Manfred FP 2,023 69.5
3,995 (72.8%) Noel Hodson Specially elected European member
John Liston Dal- CP 886 30.5 Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
rymple Electorate and
SALISBURY William Alexander FP 1,496 54.3 turnout
SOUTH Eustace Winterton SOUTHERN Rev Percy Ibbot- Ind 13,402 36.7
3,665 (75.2%) Hendrik Andries CP 1,261 45.7 RHODESIA son
Alberts 50,474 (72.4%) Ian Finlay CP 10,183 27.9
SALISBURY Godfrey Martin FP 2,055 73.0 McLean
SUBURBS Huggins James Henderson Ind 8,353 22.8
3,649 (77.2%) Estcourt Vernon CP 761 27.0 Farquhar
Herbert Cresswell- Henry Alfred Ind 4,621 12.6
George Holmes
SALISBURY James Watson FP 2,069 68.7
WEST
3,848 (78.3%)
Swan
Changes during the Assembly
Percy Arthur New- CP 943 31.3
ton Southern Rhodesia byelection
SEBAKWE John Richard CP 1,415 54.5 Rev. Percy Ibbotson, the specially elected European
3,331 (78.0%) Dendy Young member representing African interests from Southern
Jacob Letterstedt FP 1,182 45.5 Rhodesia, died on April 3, 1955. When nominations closed
Smit on May 27, 1955, Harry Ellinder Davies was the only can-
UMGUZA Julius Macdonald FP 2,072 72.3 didate to replace him, and was therefore declared elected
3,675 (78.0%) Greenfield unopposed.
William Henry CP 795 27.7
Kafue byelection
Rattham
Guy Van Eeden, who became increasingly opposed to
UMNIATI Leslie Major Culli- FP 1,491 56.7
Federal Party policies, was expelled from the party in
3,484 (75.5%) nan
July 1955 and responded by resigning on July 8, 1955 to
James Angus Gra- CP 1,138 43.3 seek re-election in his constituency of Kafue (Northern
ham, Marquess Rhodesia). The byelection was held on October 6, 1955.
Graham Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
WESTERN Robert Francis FP 1,593 64.3 Electorate and
3,375 (73.4%) Halsted turnout
Andries Bernardus CP 883 35.7
Mentz
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland election, 1953
KAFUE Guillaume Ind 500 59.9 Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
1,290 (64.7%) François Marais Electorate and
Van Eeden turnout
Geoffrey Bernard FP 305 36.5 MREWA Winston Joseph DP 1,375 52.9
Beckett 3,853 (67.4%) Field
Frank Sheridan Ind 30 3.6 Evan Roy Camp- FP 1,223 47.1
Derby CP bell
Sebakwe byelection Mashonaland byelection
J.R. Dendy Young, the Confederate Party member for Se- Jasper Savanhu, the specially elected African member for
bakwe (Southern Rhodesia), was appointed as a Judge. He Mashonaland (Southern Rhodesia), had problems with
resigned on January 26, 1956, and the byelection to suc- the proposed new constitution in terms of its provisions
ceed him was held on April 5, 1956. By this time, the Con- for voters’ qualifications. Although his responsibility was
federate Party had been dissolved and replaced by the to represent the views of Africans, his electorate were
Dominion Party. predominantly Europeans. He therefore decided to vote
Constituency Candidate Party Votes % for the proposals, but immediately to resign (August 1,
Electorate and 1957) and seek re-election. When nominations closed on
turnout September 27, 1957, he was the only candidate nominat-
ed, and was therefore declared elected unopposed.
SEBAKWE Robert Williamson DP 805 36.7
Dr Morris Isaac FP 786 35.8 Seat vacant at dissolution
Hirsch
Paul Brereton (Federal Party), one of the ordinary mem-
Johannes Mathys Com 603 27.5 bers for Nyasaland, died on July 21, 1958. The seat was left
de Kock P vacant due to the imminent federal election.
Mrewa byelection
Neville Barrett, the Federal Party member for Mrewa
(Southern Rhodesia) died on April 15, 1957. The byelec-
tion to replace him was held on June 6, 1957.
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Categories:
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• Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
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