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.
The United Fiji Party was a political party in Fiji. It was founded in 2001 by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase as a power base;it absorbed most of the Christian Democratic Alliance and other conservative groups,and its endorsement by the Great Council of Chiefs (Bose Levu Vakaturaga) caused it to be widely seen as the successor to the Alliance Party,the former ruling party that had dominated Fijian politics from the 1960s to the 1980s. It drew its support mainly from indigenous Fijiians.
Tupeni Lebaivalu Baba is a Fijian academic and politician,who founded the now-defunct New Labour Unity Party. Most members of this party later merged with several other centrist parties to form the Fiji Democratic Party. A former Professor of Education at the University of the South Pacific (USP),he later served as a senior research fellow at the Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland in New Zealand,from 2001 to the end of 2005. In the general election scheduled for 6–13 May 2006,Baba attempted a political comeback,this time on the ticket of the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL),a political switch that generated a considerable degree of public discussion. Although his bid was unsuccessful,he was subsequently appointed to the Senate as one of nine nominees of the Fijian government.
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 claimed to represent all Fiji Islanders,it was 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.
General elections were held in Fiji between 6 and 13 May 2006.
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.
Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi,is a Fijian politician of Indian descent. He was one of the youngest members to be elected into Parliament in 1992. He has represented the Nadroga Indian Communal Constituency,which he won for the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) in the parliamentary elections of 1992,1994,1999,2001,and 2006. After the 1999 election he was appointed Assistant Minister in Prime Minister's Office. He was appointed Minister for Youth and Sports and Employment Opportunities in the interim administration that followed the military coup that took place on 5 December 2006. He was born to a family of Rajasthani descent.
Pravin Singh was a Fijian politician of Indian descent,who won the Tavua Open Constituency in the House of Representatives for the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) in the parliamentary elections of 1999 and 2001.
Perumal Mupnar is a former Fijian politician of Indian Tamil descent,who held the Yasawa Nawaka Open Constituency in the House of Representatives for the Fiji Labour Party in the parliamentary election of 2001. In the parliamentary election held on 6–13 May 2006,he transferred to the Nadi Rural Indian Communal Constituency and held it for the FLP.
Gaffar Ahmed is a former Fiji Labour Party (FLP) Fijian politician of Indian descent. Ahmed was born in Ba and is a former police officer. He represented the Ba West Indian Communal Constituency,one of 19 reserved for Indo-Fijians,from 1995 to 2006.
Amjad Ali is a Fiji Indian politician. In the House of Representatives he represented the Nadi Urban Indian Communal Constituency,one of 19 reserved for Indo-Fijians,from 1999 to 2006,having held the seat for the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) in the general elections of 1999 and 2001. At the 2006 general election,he transferred to the Nadi Open Constituency and held it for the FLP.
Pratap Chand is a former Fijian politician of Indian descent. In the House of Representatives he represented the Nasinu Indian Communal Constituency from 1999 to 2006. He held the seat,one of 19 reserved for Indo-Fijians,for the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) in the general elections of 1999 and 2001.
Gyani Nand was a Fijian politician of Indian descent. He was born in Tavua and taught in a number of primary and high schools then worked as a hansard reporter and later as a diplomat in Australia and England before starting his political career.
Ragho Nand is a Fiji Indian former politician who was also a Minister in the multi-party cabinet following the 2006 election.
Vyas Deo Sharma is a former Fijian politician of Indian descent. In the House of Representatives he represented the Vuda Indian Communal Constituency,one of 19 reserved for Indo-Fijians,from 2001 to 2006.
Anup Kumar is a Fiji Indian politician who won the Vanua Levu West Indian Communal Constituency,one of the 19 seats reserved for Fiji citizens of Indian origin,for the Fiji Labour Party during the 1999 elections for the House of Representatives. He then became the Minister for Commerce,Business Development &Investment in the People's Coalition Government led by Mahendra Chaudhry.
Vinod Chandra Deo Maharaj is a Fiji Indian politician who won the Vuda Indian Communal Constituency,one of the 19 seats reserved for Fiji citizens of Indian origin,for the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) during the 1999 elections for the House of Representatives.
Navin Maharaj is a Fiji Indian businessman,former mayor of Suva and member of the House of Representatives of Fiji.
Josaia Waqabaca is a Fijian public figure and former political organizer,who turned police informant about the Fiji coup of 2000. Waqabaca was convicted and imprisoned in 2001 for plotting to kidnap the Military Commander,Commodore Frank Bainimarama,in 2000.
