The World - News from Aug. 20, 1987

Zimbabwe’s white members of Parliament joined the black-dominated government in voting to abolish the reserved seats the whites were granted when the country, formerly known as Rhodesia, became independent in 1980. The vote in the 100-member lower house was unanimous. Mark Partridge, leader of the white Conservative Alliance of Zimbabwe, said his party supported the constitutional reform because “the racial basis of representation should be changed.” Prime Minister Robert Mugabe’s government says the reserved white seats--20 in the lower House and 10 in the 40-member Senate--will be filled by new members picked by the remaining 80 members of the lower house.