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The politics of Fiji take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. Fiji has a multiparty system with the Prime Minister of Fiji as head of government. The executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of Fiji. The judiciary is mostly independent of the executive and the legislature.
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party. Following a historic election in which he defeated the long-time former leader,Sitiveni Rabuka,the former trade union leader became Fiji's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister on 19 May 1999,but exactly one year later,on 19 May 2000 he and most of his Cabinet were taken hostage by coup leader George Speight,in the Fiji coup of 2000. Unable to exercise his duties,he and his ministers were sacked by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara on 27 May;Mara intended to assume emergency powers himself but was himself deposed by the military leader,Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
The Fiji Labour Party,also known as Fiji Labour,is a political party in Fiji. Most of its support is from the Indo-Fijian community,although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian,Dr. Timoci Bavadra. The party has been elected to power twice,with Timoci Bavadra and Mahendra Chaudhry becoming prime minister in 1987 and 1999 respectively. On both occasions,the resulting government was rapidly overthrown by a coup.
Irene Jai Narayan was an Indian-born teacher and politician,who had a significant influence on politics in Fiji. She came to Fiji in 1959 after marrying Jai Narayan,a well known school Principal in Suva,and began her career as a teacher. She taught in DAV Girls School and MGM High School in Suva before entering politics.
Siddiq Moidin Koya was a Fijian Indian politician,Statesman and Opposition leader. He succeeded to the leadership of the mostly Indo-Fijian National Federation Party (NFP) on the death of the party's founder,A. D. Patel,in October 1969,remaining in this post until 1977. He later served a second term as leader of the NFP,from 1984 to 1987.
Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka is a Fijian politician,former soldier and former sportsman who has served as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987. He was democratically elected as Prime Minister of Fiji,serving from 1992 to 1999,and again in 2022,leading a three-party coalition. He also served as Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs from 1999 to 2001,and later as Chairman of the Cakaudrove Provincial Council from 2001 to 2008.
Tupeni Lebaivalu Baba is a Fijian academic,politician,and former Cabinet Minister. A founding member of the Fiji Labour Party,he served as a Cabinet Minister in the government of Timoci Bavadra until removed from office by the 1987 Fijian coups d'état,and then one of the two Deputy Prime Ministers in the government of Mahendra Chaudhry until removed from office by the 2000 Fijian coup d'état. After splitting with Choudhry in the wake of the coup,he founded the New Labour Unity Party to contest the 2001 election,but failed to win a seat in Parliament. He unsuccessfully attempting to re-enter politics at the 2006 election under the banner of the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua,and again at the 2014 election as part of the Social Democratic Liberal Party.
The National Federation Party is a Fijian political party founded by A.D. Patel in November 1968,as a merger of the Federation Party and the National Democratic Party. Though it claims to represent all Fiji Islanders,it is supported,in practice,almost exclusively by Indo-Fijians whose ancestors had come to Fiji between 1879 and 1916,mostly as indentured labourers. However,in the 2018 general election,the party recorded a considerable change in its support base due to the inclusion of more indigenous Fijian candidates.
The National Alliance Party of Fiji (NAPF) was a Fijian political party. It was formally registered on 18 January 2005 by Ratu Epeli Ganilau,as the claimed successor to the defunct Alliance Party,which ruled Fiji from 1967 to 1987 under the leadership of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara,Ganilau's father-in-law. Others involved with the party included university lecturer Meli Waqa as party secretary,and Manu Korovulavula as treasurer. The Deputy Leader was Hirdesh Sharma. The party was launched publicly at a mass rally in Suva on 8 April 2005.
Krishna Datt, last name sometimes spelt as Dutt,is a Fijian politician of Indian descent. Datt served as Principal of Suva Grammar School,where he participated in the national teachers' strikes in 1985,which launched his political career with the Fiji Labour Party.
Sakiasi Iliesa Bakewa Butadroka was a Fijian politician noted for his strident ethnic nationalism. Originally elected to the House of Representatives as a member of the ruling Alliance Party in the parliamentary election of 1972,he was expelled from the Alliance for his public attacks against the presence of Persons of Indian origin (Indo-Fijians) in Fiji. He had introduced a parliamentary motion calling for a resolution stating:"That this House agrees that the time has arrived when Indians or people of Indian origin in this country be repatriated back to India and that their travelling expenses back home and compensation for their properties in this country be met by the British Government." The motion was unanimously rejected.
James Shankar Singh,MBE was a Fiji Indian farmer,businessman,social worker and politician who served as a Minister in the Alliance Government of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Like many Fiji Indian politicians of the era,he joined the Alliance Party with a belief in mutiracialism,but was disappointed with the Alliance Party's appeal to Fijian nationalism after 1977 and left the Alliance to join the National Federation Party.
Harish Chandra Sharma is a Fiji Indian politician who became the leader of the National Federation Party in 1987. He was also the leader of the organisation representing most of the Hindus in Fiji,the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji.
The number of Fiji Indians that could be elected to the Legislative Council was fixed over the years as follows:
Navin Maharaj is a Fiji Indian businessman,former mayor of Suva and member of the House of Representatives of Fiji.
Charan Jeath Singh is an Indo-Fijian businessman,politician,and Cabinet Minister. From 1992 to 2005 he was Mayor of Labasa. He is the founder of the CJS Group of companies.
Shiromaniam Madhavan,son of a founding member of the National Federation Party (NFP),was a Fiji Indian politician who served in the Labasa Town Council and the House of Representatives. He contested numerous elections for different political parties.
References
- ↑ Howard, Michael (1991). Fiji: Race and politics in an island state . Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 380. ISBN 0-7748-0368-1.
- ↑ "Things fall apart" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-23. Retrieved 2007-06-11.