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
History of the Comoros (1978–89) History of the Comoros (1978–89) The Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa. France first established colonial rule in the Comoros in 1841. Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for the Comoros to become independent in 1978. On July 6, 1975, but the Comorian parliament passed a unilateral resolution declaring independence. The deputies of Mayotte, which remained under French control, abstained. Referendums on all four of the islands excluding Mayotte showed strong support for independence. Ahmed Abdallah proclaimed the Comoros' independence on September 5, 1975 and became its first president.