A referendum on separating from the Gilbert Islands was held in the
Ellice Islands
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...
(then administered together as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands) between July and September 1974.Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II'', p829 A rolling ballot was used, starting in July in
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...
, whilst the Gilbert Islands became
Kiribati
Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati ''The Wor ...
.
Background
Following objections to self-government for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands from the 8 representatives of the Ellice Islands due to concerns about the Gilbert Islands being the dominant part of the territory, an inquiry was held by the British representative Leslie Monson. Following the inquiry, the British government granted the referendum.Two big decisions for the Ellice ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', March 1974, p6 Proposals for a federal system that would lessen concerns about Gilbertese domination were rejected by GEIC Leader of Government Business
Reuben Uatioa
Te Reuben Kiraua Uatioa (1924 – 1977) was a Gilbertese politician. After being elected to the House of Representatives in 1967, he became the first Chief Elected Member of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony and then Leader of Government Bu ...
, founder of the
Gilbertese National Party
The Gilbertese National Party (GNP) was a political party in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony founded in 1965. It was the first ever party in this British colony.
History
Racial tensions between Gilbertese and Ellice Islanders became m ...
, who stated "it is either secession or the present type of unitary government."
Prior to the referendum, the British government stated that if separation were to happen, the Ellice Islands would not receive any share of the Gilberts' phosphate revenues from Ocean Island and that the assets of the GEIC outside the Ellice Islands would remain the property of the Gilbert Islands. However, separation was still supported by all prominent Ellice Islands politicians except Isakala Paeniu, a government minister.Ellice votes the 'E' out of the GEIC ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', November 1974, p8
Results
The ballot paper had two options:Moment of decision for Ellice ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', August 1974, p8
#The establishment of a separate Ellice Islands Colony
#To remain with the Gilberts as part of the GEIC and what the colony becomes when its status is altered.
Reactions
After the results were announced, Chief Minister
Naboua Ratieta
Naboua T. Ratieta (26 April 1938 – 12 June 1986) was an I-Kiribati politician who became the first Chief Minister of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1974. The Ellice Islands separated from the colony the following year, and he remained Chie ...
stated "Personally I am sorry they have decided to separate from us. After all, we have been friends for a long time, and so far as my administration is concerned, there would have been no question whatever of any political domination of the Ellice people by the Gilbertese". Paeniu said "I'm sorry to find there are only 200-odd sensible Ellice Islanders. They are, perhaps, the only people who voted with full knowledge of the tough implications of the whole issue... I'm sorry to say that the Ellice leaders, who advocate separation, have not come to grips with the real problems facing small, almost unknown communities in the world today."
References
{{Tuvaluan elections
Ellice Islands
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...