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. in 1967 britain extended universal suffrage to the colony and established a governing council to run it, the majority of whose members for the first time were elected by the seychellois rather than appointed by the british government. that year almost 18,000 seychellois voted, and the dp emerged in control of the council. 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 dp won ten seats, and the spup won five in the legislative assembly. mancham became the islands' chief minister and rené, the leader of the opposition.