Ahrn Palley - Political Stances

Political Stances

Palley split with the Dominion Party early in 1959 and sat instead as an Independent member (he briefly formed his own party which he called the Southern Rhodesia Party). He supported moves towards increasing African involvement in government, and making an issue of opposing attempts to increase police powers. In 1960, Palley attracted headlines by making an all-night filibuster against the United Federal Party government's Law and Order Maintenance Act. Although the UFP was publicly committed to increasing African involvement in public affairs, Palley was not in the least tempted to support them. According to James Barber, author of "Rhodesia: The Road to Rebellion", Palley believed that the UFP lacked any real commitment to giving Africans political power. On July 22, 1960 he also spoke against the UFP's attempts to pursue support from Africans for its attempts which he considered desultory to increase their political power. Palley took the view that it was wholly unrealistic for the UFP to think that the two races could be united in the same party. He also opposed the UFP's decision to use tribal chiefs as a way of involving Africans in government, describing it as a way to bypass Parliament.