1965 Rhodesian General Election

A general election was held in the Dominion of Rhodesia on 30 November 1965, 19 days after the ratification of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, which effectively ended British influence and control over Rhodesia. The election was not invoked by the Governor of Rhodesia; the move was criticized by the United Kingdom, and Humphrey Gibbs formally stripped Smith of his executive power and ordered authorities to detain him for treason; such orders and directives were never carried out, and Gibbs was simply ignored until he fled Salisbury on 7 June 1969. The general election was invoked by the Rhodesian Legislative Assembly with a 50-32 approval majority, while Gibbs sent a reclaim to the Supreme Court of Rhodesia, which in a 6-0 ruling legitimized the election request, and gave directives for it's schedule, which were to be held no later than 1 December 1965.

Background
As tensions with the United Kingdom grew day by day, Smith, who was elected as Prime Minister for the Rhodesian Front, pursued negotiations with Harold Wilson Labourist cabinet for Rhodesia to be granted independence under minority rule. Talks lasted from 21 April 1964 until 7 August 1965, when Smith left London with an unconclusive result. Wilson was hostile to the Rhodesian proposals, and threatened to proceed on starting proceedings for early independence under majority rule; such threat provoked no real danger to Smith and his government as the sitting ministry and legislative body were required to agree with London proposals; Smith party, the Rhodesian Front, held a majority in the Legislative Assembly and re-affirmed the support to Smith after Wilson threats.

On 1 November 1965, Smith announced that his government would withdraw from the Comprenehsive Negotiations Table and that Rhodesia would enact a "drastic but needed" decision in the following days. Ten days later, Smith signed the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, which effectively removed British colonism from the Rhodesian territory. The UDI document also issued that Queen Elizabeth II would still be Head of State, as "Queen of Rhodesia" until the nation became a republic after a national plebiscite held on 23 June 1969.

Before the General Election, Smith announced his party would contest all constituencies, and main candidates were experienced politicians, businessmen and community leaders. On the other side, the Unitary List was formed, and advocated for unionism with Great Britain and rejected the independence thesis. The RF proposals were the implementation of a free-market oriented economy, respect for law and order and the creation of the Conditions for the Perpetual Cohabitation of Ethnic Groups which essentially slowly increased the autonomy of the black population, but, as a result of the Rhodesian Bush War, state-sponsored expulsions were enacted in secrecy with the black majority having equal numbers as of the white one, with women being sterilized.