1.
CU MR SMITH BEING INTERVIEWED (SOF)
2.05


TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 1: INTERVIEWER: "MR PRIME MINISTER, MR DUPONT SAID LAST NIGHT THAT THIS WAS YOUR FINEST HOUR -- HOW DO YOU FEEL PERSONALLY?"



MR SMITH: "WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT MIGHT BE QUITE AN APPROPRIATE EXPRESSION. I MUST SAY I WAS TREMENDOUSLY GRATEFUL FOR THE RESPONSE THAT THE ELECTORATE DID GIVE TO US. IT WAS A GREAT MOMENT."



INTERVIEWER: "ANY SURPRISES IN THIS OVERWHELMING VICTORY FOR RHODESIA FRONT?"



MR SMITH: "I WOULD SAY NO, EXCEPT THAT PERHAPS SOME OF THE MAJORITIES WERE EVEN A LITTLE BIGGER THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED. I HAVE FOR QUITE A LONG WHILE NOW BELIEVED THAT WE MAY HAVE HAD FIFTY SEATS ON THE "A" ROLL."



INTERVIEWER: "HOW WILL THE RESULT EFFECT YOUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE U.K.?"



MR SMITH: "I BELIEVE THAT THIS MUST STRENGTHEN MY HAND. I SAY THIS IN ALL SINCERITY. THIS WAS NO POLITICAL GIMMICK. I THINK THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, IN FACT ANYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD, HAS GOT TO BE INFLUENCED BY THIS TREMENDOUS VOICE FROM THE PEOPLE OF RHODESIA."



INTERVIEWER: "DO YOU FEEL FREE NOW TO GO AHEAD. PERHAPS WITH U.D.I.?"



MR SMITH: "NO MORE SO, I WOULD SAY, THAN IN THE PAST, AND I WOULD SAY, NO MORE THAN ANY OTHER PREVIOUS PRIME MINISTER. THIS WAS NOT AN ELECTION FOR A U.D.I."



INTERVIEWER: "WOULD YOU SAY THAT THIS WAS A FAIRLY FOUGHT ELECTION?"



MR SMITH: "I THINK SO. I THINK IT WAS VERY FAIR AND I THINK THERE WAS A LOT LESS BITTERNESS THAN I HAD SEEN PREVIOUSLY IN AN ELECTION."



INTERVIEWER: "HOW DO YOU REGARD THE VERY SMALL BUT AFRICAN OPPOSITION TO YOUR PARTY IN PARLIAMENT?"



MR SMITH: "I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T COME AS A SURPRISE TO RHODESIANS, OR REALLY CAUSE ANY CONCERN. AFTER ALL, WE HAVE BEEN REMINDED ON MANY OCCASIONS THAT IF THE AFRICANS HAD REALLY TAKEN PART IN OUR FIRST ELECTION -- WHICH WAS TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO -- THAT EVEN THEN WE WOULD HAVE HAD A LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, AN AFRICAN LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, SO THIS SHOULDN'T COME AS ANY SURPRISE."



INTERVIEWER: "CAN YOU ESTIMATE THE EFFECT THAT THIS WILL HAVE IN THE UNITED NATIONS AND WITH OUR AFRICAN NEIGHBOURS TO THE NORTH?"



MR SMITH: "I HOPE IT WILL HAVE A SALUTATORY EFFECT AS FAR AS THEY ARE CONCERNED. THEY WILL COME TO THEIR SENSES AND REALISE IT DOESN'T MUCH MATTER WHAT THEY SAY. WE'VE DECIDED WE'RE GOING TO GET ON AND RUN RHODESIA AND WHAT WE CONSIDER IS BEST FOR RHODESIA -- THE SOONER THEY REALISE THIS THE BETTER, I THINK."




Initials RM/V/BHH/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE RHODESIAN PRIME MINISTER, MR IAN SMITH, HAS SAID IN SALISBURY THAT HIS RHODESIAN FRONT'S CLEAN SWEEP OF ALL 50 SEATS ON THE MAINLY WHITE "A" ROLL OF THE GENERAL ELECTION YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) WAS A SIGN THAT THE PEOPLE ARE UNITED FOR INDEPENDENCE.

AFTER THE ELECTIONS RESULTS WERE ALL KNOWN YESTERDAY, MR SMITH WAS ASKED.....