Fiji election of 1977 (March)
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Fiji
between 19 March and 2 April 1977. A split in the ethnic Fijian
vote, which saw 25 percent defecting to Fijian Nationalist Party
of Sakeasi Butadroka
, an extremist organization which advocated the "repatriation" of Indo-Fijians to India
, led to the narrow defeat of the Fijian Alliance Party
of the Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
. The Alliance won 24 seats, two fewer than the Indo-Fijian-dominated National Federation Party
. One seat was won by the Fijian Nationalist Party, with the remaining seat going to an independent candidate.
As the winner of the election, the National Federation Party should have formed the government. Three days after the election, however, the party splintered in a leadership brawl, and the Governor General, Ratu Sir George Cakobau
, called on the defeated Ratu Mara to form an interim government pending fresh elections. Defending his actions, the Governor-General issued the following statement:
"In the recent general election, the people of Fiji did not give a clear mandate to either of the major political parties. It therefore became the duty of the Governor-General under the Constitution to appoint as Prime Minister the Member of the House of Representatives who appeared to him best able to command the support of the majority of the Members of the House. The Governor-General has not been able to act sooner as it was not until this afternoon that he was informed who had been elected leader of the National Federation Party. The Governor-General, after taking all relevant circumstances into account, has come to the firm conclusion that the person best able to command support of the majority of the Members is the Leader of the Alliance Party, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. In compliance with the Constitution and acting in his own deliberate judgment the Governor-General has accordingly appointed Ratu Sir Kamisese as Prime Minister."
Some have alleged that the Governor-General used the splintering of the National Federation Party as a pretext to keep his fellow-chief (and distant cousin), Ratu Mara, in power. Others, however, believe that the Governor-General did what he had to do, as the National Federation Party was incapable of forming a coherent government. This was the view articulated by Jai Ram Reddy
, the leader of one of the dueling factions of the NFP, in a radio broadcast during the crisis. Some have charged that Reddy colluded in the Governor-General's actions in keeping his own party out of power, so that he could depose Sidiq Koya
, the longtime leader of the party. Many commentators believe that a better way forward might have been to set up a "government of national unity," representing both the Alliance and the NFP, but this was unacceptable to Ratu Mara. Whatever the truth of the myriad allegations about the parties involved, Ratu Mara remained in office in an interim capacity despite his electoral defeat, and a fresh election
was held to resolve the impasse in September.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
between 19 March and 2 April 1977. A split in the ethnic Fijian
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
vote, which saw 25 percent defecting to Fijian Nationalist Party
Fijian Nationalist Party
The Fijian Nationalist Party was a political party in Fiji, founded in 1975 by Sakeasi Butadroka, a parliamentarian who defected from the then-ruling Fijian Alliance, on a "Fiji for the Fijians!" platform. Its support peaked in the parliamentary election of March 1977, when it took 24.4 percent...
of Sakeasi Butadroka
Sakeasi Butadroka
Sakeasi Butadroka was a Fijian politician noted for his strident ethnic nationalism. Originally elected to the House of Representatives as a member of the ruling Fijian Alliance in the parliamentary election of 1972, he was expelled from the Alliance for his public attacks against the presence of...
, an extremist organization which advocated the "repatriation" of Indo-Fijians to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, led to the narrow defeat of the Fijian Alliance Party
Fijian Alliance
The Alliance Party, was the ruling political party in Fiji from 1966 to 1987. Founded in the early 1960s, its leader was Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, the founding father of the modern Fijian nation...
of the Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
. The Alliance won 24 seats, two fewer than the Indo-Fijian-dominated National Federation Party
National Federation Party (Fiji)
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...
. One seat was won by the Fijian Nationalist Party, with the remaining seat going to an independent candidate.
As the winner of the election, the National Federation Party should have formed the government. Three days after the election, however, the party splintered in a leadership brawl, and the Governor General, Ratu Sir George Cakobau
George Cakobau
Ratu Sir George Kadavulevu Cakobau, GCMG, GCVO, OBE was Governor General of Fiji from 1973 to 1983. A great-grandson of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the King of Bau who had unified all the tribes of Fiji under his reign in the mid-1800s and subsequently ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in...
, called on the defeated Ratu Mara to form an interim government pending fresh elections. Defending his actions, the Governor-General issued the following statement:
"In the recent general election, the people of Fiji did not give a clear mandate to either of the major political parties. It therefore became the duty of the Governor-General under the Constitution to appoint as Prime Minister the Member of the House of Representatives who appeared to him best able to command the support of the majority of the Members of the House. The Governor-General has not been able to act sooner as it was not until this afternoon that he was informed who had been elected leader of the National Federation Party. The Governor-General, after taking all relevant circumstances into account, has come to the firm conclusion that the person best able to command support of the majority of the Members is the Leader of the Alliance Party, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. In compliance with the Constitution and acting in his own deliberate judgment the Governor-General has accordingly appointed Ratu Sir Kamisese as Prime Minister."
Some have alleged that the Governor-General used the splintering of the National Federation Party as a pretext to keep his fellow-chief (and distant cousin), Ratu Mara, in power. Others, however, believe that the Governor-General did what he had to do, as the National Federation Party was incapable of forming a coherent government. This was the view articulated by Jai Ram Reddy
Jai Ram Reddy
Jai Ram Reddy is an Indo-Fijian statesman, who has had a distinguished career in both the legislative and judicial branches of the Fijian government...
, the leader of one of the dueling factions of the NFP, in a radio broadcast during the crisis. Some have charged that Reddy colluded in the Governor-General's actions in keeping his own party out of power, so that he could depose Sidiq Koya
Sidiq Koya
Siddiq Moidin Koya was a Fijian Indian politician and Opposition leader. He succeeded to the leadership of the mostly Indo-Fijian National Federation Party on the death of the party's founder, A.D. Patel, in October 1969, remaining in this post until 1977...
, the longtime leader of the party. Many commentators believe that a better way forward might have been to set up a "government of national unity," representing both the Alliance and the NFP, but this was unacceptable to Ratu Mara. Whatever the truth of the myriad allegations about the parties involved, Ratu Mara remained in office in an interim capacity despite his electoral defeat, and a fresh election
Fiji election of 1977 (September)
Early general elections were held in Fiji between 17 and 24 September 1977, following the impasse of an earlier election that had been held in March...
was held to resolve the impasse in September.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance Party | 338,523 | 46.0 | 24 | |
| National Federation Party National Federation Party (Fiji) 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... |
332,764 | 45.2 | 26 | |
| Fijian Nationalist Party Fijian Nationalist Party The Fijian Nationalist Party was a political party in Fiji, founded in 1975 by Sakeasi Butadroka, a parliamentarian who defected from the then-ruling Fijian Alliance, on a "Fiji for the Fijians!" platform. Its support peaked in the parliamentary election of March 1977, when it took 24.4 percent... |
39,238 | 5.3 | 1 | New |
| Independents | 25,142 | 3.4 | 1 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 47,690 | |||
| Total | 783,357 | 100 | 52 | 0 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | ||||