Related Research Articles
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.
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.
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.
Sir Vijay Raghubar Singh,KBE was an Indo-Fijian lawyer and politician who held Cabinet office in the 1960s and 1970s. Vijay Singh served in Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara's government in a variety of positions,including Attorney-General,and was president of the Indian Alliance,a division of the ruling Alliance Party. He quit the party in 1979 following disagreement with Alliance leadership and later joined the opposition National Federation Party. Vijay Singh was involved in the restructure of the Fiji sugar industry and was a leading member of the Jaycees movement in Fiji.
Local elections in Fiji are held for two cities and ten towns. Each city or town has a council comprising between 8 and 20 members,elected for three-year terms,although the government announced legislation on 15 February 2006 to extend the term to four years. Each city or town council elects from among its own members a Mayor for one year. Consecutive terms are permitted.
Local elections were held in Fiji in October 2002. The results allowed the three major political parties,Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL),the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) and the National Federation Party (NFP) to claim a victory of sorts. The elections,which take place every three years,were for two city councils and ten town councils throughout Fiji.
Local elections were held in Fiji on 22 October 2005 to elect the councils of eleven municipalities. In Suva,the elections for the Suva City Council were postponed until 12 November due to the death of two candidates;the death of a candidate in Lautoka also resulted in the poll postponement in one of the four wards.
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.
Mohammed Tahir is a former Fijian politician of Indian descent. He represented the Labasa Rural Indian Communal Constituency,one of 19 reserved for Indo-Fijians,which he retained for the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) in a byelection held on 6 December 2003 to succeed the late Mohammed Latif Subedar.
James Madhavan was an Indo-Fijian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives for most of the period between 1947 and 1973 and had two spells in the Executive Council.
The number of Fiji Indians that could be elected to the Legislative Council was fixed over the years as follows:
Vijay Chand is a Fiji Indian politician who won the Labasa Indian Communal Constituency for the Labour Party in 2006 general election.
Mohammed Latif Subedar is a Fiji Indian politician who won the Labasa Rural Indian Communal Constituency,one of the 19 seats reserved for Fiji citizens of Indian origin,for the Fiji Labour Party during the 1999 election and the 2001 election 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.
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.
Parmod Chand is a Fijian politician and former member of the Parliament of Fiji. He is a member of the National Federation Party (NFP).
Balwant Singh Rakkha was a Fiji Indian medical doctor and a member of the House of Representatives of Fiji representing the National Federation Party (NFP),but he is best known for his strong support for the former leader of the NFP,Sidiq Koya and the split caused within the NFP when he was rewarded by Koya for his loyalty by being given a seat in a constituency where he was a virtual unknown.
References
- ↑ Howard, Michael (1991). Fiji: Race and politics in an island state . Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 384. ISBN 0-7748-0368-1.
- ↑ "Achievements of FLP" . Retrieved 2007-06-20.
- ↑ "FLP History" . Retrieved 2007-06-20.