St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1961-10-13
Bandos' Victory
In NYdsaIund Poses
More Greet Problems
BY JACK INVASION

For The Associated Negro Press
Blantyre, Nyasaland - The
smash-hit victory of DR.. Hastings
K. Banda in the Nyasaland gen.
eral elections - easily foreseeable
as it was-has now posed tremen-
dous constitutional problems, not
only for Nyasaland, but for the
Federation of Rhodesias and N.Y.
ashland as a whole.
Its effect will certainly be felt
in Southern Rhodesia, and it could
even be that what has transpired
in Nyasaland may herald the ulti-
mate breakup of the Federation.
This state of affairs stems from
the fact that during the recent
elections the Malawi Congress
party won control of % out of %
seats. In the breakdown DR.. Ban
da's party took all 20 of the Lower
roll seats, two of the Upper roll
seats, and gained the support of
an Upper Roll independent. On the
opposing side, Sir Roy Welensky's
United Federal party managed to
win only five Upper Roll seats.
The position now is that Gov
ernor Sir Glynn Jones will form a
government by appointing five ex-
officio Colonial Office officials to
ministerial posts and inviting five
of the Elected members to join
them-maIing an executive coun-
Gil of 10 members.
However, DR.. Banda has already
gone on record as stating that his
party will not accept office unless
it receives three or four of the five
ministerial posts which the COVER
nor is to farm out among the elect
ed "unofficials."
But either way-whether the
Malawi men accept ministerial
posts or not-they can make the
situation impossible, even with the
governor constantly exercising his
reserved powers of the veto or de-
cision. This would bring about a
state of affairs where the governor
may be forced into the position of
a DICTATOR circumstances which
would further the present schism
between DR.. Banda's adherents and
his opposition.
This is almost certain to happen.
With the overwhelming majority
in the Legislative Council, the Nal
avn Congress party can steamroller
a motion through the council for
the secession of Nyasaland from
the Federation.
OF course, there is one small
point which might be overlooked.
No part of the Federation can
contract out on a simple declara-
ton of independence,-that is, &C
cording to the constitution. The
law requires that it be done in
consultation with the other govern
ments concerned - Northern and
Southern Rhodesia, the overall
Federal government and the United
Kingdom.
On the other hand, the Malawi
Congress party just might ignore
this constitutional provision, and
that is when the balloon may well
go up in Nyasaland.
The thousands of tribesmen, who
treked in to vote by symbols in
the election, will not understand
this constitutional provision, nor
why the party they put into power
cannot have its way.
Thus, a crisis in government,
could easily become a crisis
throughout the country. In the
end, it might well be that the sole
course would be to grant
independence outright to Nyasa-
land, outside the Federation.
Such may be DR.. Bandas rea-
soning and political strategy. In
deed, Immediately following the
election, he announced that he con-
sidered the results "a complete
mandate to secede."
In the meantime, Malawi BRAN
ches have been launched in South
en Rhodesia. Armed with the vic
tory in Nyasaland, these branches
are now demanding "a free South
ern Rhodesia."