1967 Gilbert and Ellice Islands general election 1967 Gilbert and Ellice Islands general election General elections were held in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1967. All candidates ran as independents. Earlier in the year the British government promulgated a new constitution for the islands, creating a House of Representatives to replace the Advisory Council. The new House of Representatives had 30 members, of which 23 were elected (18 from the Gilberts and five from Ellice Islands), five civil servants and two ex officio members. In addition, the Executive Council was replaced with a Governing Council, to consist of five members of the House of Representatives (elected
Gilbert and Ellice Islands which was operating on Ocean Island, and questioned the impartiality of Mahaffy. The seat of government was then moved to Ocean Island (now known as Banaba Island), which had been included in the protectorate in 1900, to take advantage of the improved shipping connections resulting from the Pacific Phosphate Company's activities, and the status of the islands was changed on 12 January 1916 to that of a Crown Colony. The role of the British colonial authorities emphasised the procurement of labour for the Ocean Island phosphate mining and keeping order among the workers. The islands became a Crown colony on