General elections were held in the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands (GEIC as a colony) in the Pacific Ocean was part of the British Empire from 1892 to 1976. It was a British protectorate, protectorate from 1892 to 12 January 1916, and then a crown colony, colony until 1 January 1 ...
on 4 April 1974. All candidates ran as independents.
[
]
Background
The system of government was changed again prior to the 1974 elections; the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order 1974 replaced the Legislative Council
A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...
with a 31-member House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible g ...
, including 28 elected members and three ''ex officio'' members.[ Only around 60% of people eligible to vote registered to do so.][
]
Results
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 ...
, who had been favourite to become the first Chief Minister was defeated by Abete Merang
Abete Merang (28 February 1926 in Arorae – 22 February 1987 in Kuria (islands), Kuria) was an Kiribati, I-Kiribati politician and trade unionist. He was a member of the 1974 Council of Ministries and he became Ministry of Health and Medical Se ...
in Urban Tarawa. Voter turnout was around 70%.[Barrie Macdonald (2001]
Cinderellas of the Empire: Towards a History of Kiribati and Tuvalu
p242
Aftermath
Following the elections, Naboua Ratieta was appointed Chief Minister.[Decolonization]
United Nations, July 1979 Ratieta appointed a six-member cabinet, including Ellice Islanders Sione Tui Kleis as Minister for Commerce and Industry and Isakala Paeniu as Minister for Natural Resources. Bwebwetake Areieta became Minister of Communications, Works and Utilities, Tekarei Russell was Minister of Health and Welfare, Roniti Teiwaki
Roniti Teiwaki is an I-Kiribati politician.
After the 1974 general election, he became member of the Cabinet of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands of Naboua Ratieta as Minister of Education, Training and Culture, then confirmed from March 1978 ...
was Minister of Education, Training and Culture, Ibeata Tonganibeia was Minister of State and Teweai Uaruta was Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. Uatioa was appointed Speaker.[Decolonization]
United Nations, July 1979 Toaripi Lauti was considered to be the Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
.
When the Ellice Islands separated following a referendum
A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
later in 1974, the eight seats representing the Ellice Islands were abolished.
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', July 1976, p18
References
{{Tuvaluan elections
1974 elections in Oceania
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
1974 in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Non-partisan elections