nominated administrative and executive councils were established for Mauritius and Seychelles. Thus, in 1903, the islands became a crown colony separated from Mauritius. The involvement of Seychellois in their own political affairs began in 1948 after World War II, when Britain granted suffrage to approximately 2,000 adult male property owners. In 1964 two parties emerged on the political scene: the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP).and the Democratic Party (DP). Both were determined to improve local conditions and to develop popularly based local politics, but they differed in substantive ways. The SPUP represented a socialist ideology, favoring workeroriented policies, and pressing for complete independence from Britain and a nonaligned foreign policy whilst the DP took a more laissez-faire capitalist approach and wanted to continue the association with Britain and to allow British and United States bases on the islands. Continuous and mounting demands for an increased share in running the colony's affairs prompted Britain to enact a series of constitutions for Seychelles, each of which granted important new concessions. The first universal suffrage election took place in 1967 and there was criticism, provoked by the gap between the high percentage of votes obtained by the SPUP and the seats won at the Legislative Council (three on seven). In 1970 Britain set up a ministerial form of government and gave Seychellois the responsibility to administer all but external affairs, internal security, the civil service, and the government's broadcasting service and newspaper. The opening of an international airport on the east coast of Mahé in 1971 improved contact with the outside world. The end of the islands' relative isolation led to expansion of tourism and concomitant booms in foreign capital investment and the domestic construction industry. Finally, Britain granted the colony complete independence, and on June 29, 1976, the Republic of Seychelles became a sovereign nation. In 1977, a coup detat led to the formation of a new government led by the SPUP. In 1978, the SPUP became the Seychelles Peoples Progressive Front (SPPF), and this