The 2017 mid-term elections resulted in a similar composition of the 14-member Congress. Outgoing members took eight of the 10 seats up for renewal in 2017. No women were elected, as in the previous elections. However, there were two female candidates in 2017, unlike the 2015 elections where there were none. In absence of political parties, all candidates stand as independents in Micronesia and campaigning usually focuses on local issues. National issues in 2017 included the constitutional referendum on dual citizenship, which was held in parallel with the parliamentary elections (see note 1), and the Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States of America, on which a parliamentary resolution was introduced in December 2015 (see note 2). Note 1: The constitutional amendment was intended to permit Micronesians to hold dual citizenship. However the proposal failed to secure the required threshold, of three-quarters of votes cast in three of the country's four states. Note 2: Since independence in 1986, Micronesia has been in free association with the United States of America based on COFA, whereby the United States funds the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) through an annual subsidy. In December 2015, the FSM Congress introduced a resolution signifying the intent to end the COFA in 2018. However, the resolution had not been adopted by the FSM Congress at the time of the 2017 elections.