General elections were held in Mauritius on 7 August 1967. Ethnic violence broke out in Port Louis between Muslims, Creoles and Chinese. Anti-riot police used tear gas to restore peace.[1] [2]
The result was a victory for the Independence Party, an alliance of the Labour Party, Independent Forward Bloc and Comité d'Action Musulman, won 43 of the 70 seats,[3] allowing Labour leader and incumbent Prime Minister Seewoosagur Ramgoolam to form a government. Voter turnout was 89%.[4]
The voting system created twenty constituencies on Mauritius, which each elected three members. Two seats were elected by residents of Rodrigues, and eight seats were filled by a system known as "best losers" whereby the electoral commission would appoint eight unsuccessful candidates to ensure that ethnic minorities were fairly represented.[5]
The Independence Party consisted of the Labour Party (26 seats), the Independent Forward Bloc (12 seats) and the Muslim Committee of Action (5 seats).