Botha's party supports his plan for power sharing

South Africa's ruling National Party endorsed Prime Minister P. W. Botha's position on a plan to extend political rights from the white minority to Indian and Colored (mixed race) citizens, the party said.

Before the endorsement, political observers predicted further Nationalist defections to the Conservative Party, which broke with Botha earlier this year over the principle of sharing power with nonwhites. But only one National Party legislator voted against his resolution.

The plan is to grant full political rights to Indians and Coloreds but not the black majority.