TNAG-0595-FCO40-742-Principles-and-procedures-of-granting-independence-1977 — Page 28

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could only promise an electoral review.

The conference came near

to breakdown. However, on the penultimate day, after prolonged discussions between the parties, with the active encouragement of British officials, Mr Mancham and Mr René ultimately agreed to shelve the issues and to form a

coalition to govern Seychelles under an interim colonial constitution. The final independence constitution would be agreed at a further conference to be held in London early in 1976, with a view to independence in June 1976.

First Constitutional Conference: Aftermath

10. The problems which thus remained to be settled were

many and formidable, notably:-

(a) the successful launching of the coalition and the

maintenance of unity for a prolonged period during which the electoral system could be examined and the question of whether there should be fresh elections before independence could be resolved;

(b) the successful launching of an Interim Constitution granting independence in all matters save external affairs and defence with a number of Ministers having no previous experience of government or, indeed, of working harmoniously together;

(c) an authoritative examination of the electoral system and the elaboration of proposals for future elections which were acceptable to both political parties;

(a) the holding of a second Constitutional Conference to settle matters on which no agreement between the two parties was in sight;

(e) a solution to the atstanding question of the future of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches in which the United States, as well as the UK and Seychelles, had an interest.

(f) assuming a successful Constitutional Conference, and a solution to (e) above, the processing of an Independence Bill

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/ with