1966 Fijian general election

none July 2016 January 2023 Fiji Flag of Fiji (1924–1970).svg parliamentary 1963 Fijian general election 1963 26 September–8 October 1966 1972 Fijian general election 1972 All 36 seats in the Legislative Council 18 Kamisese Mara Kamisese Mara.jpg Alliance Party (Fiji) 23 214,872 51.94% A. D. Patel 3x4.svg Federation Party 9 880000 113,310 27.39% Chief Minister Kamisese Mara Alliance Party (Fiji) General elections were held in Fiji between 26 September and 8 October 1966,Militant Indians active as Fiji goes to the polls Pacific Islands Monthly, October 1966, p9 the last before independence in 1970 and the first held under universal suffrage.1966 Fiji Legislative Council elections Fiji Elections The result was a victory for the Alliance Party, which won 23 of the 34 elected seats. Its leader Kamisese Mara became the country's first Chief Minister the following year. Background A constitutional conference was held in London in 1965, which resulted in the Legislative Council being reorganised to consist of 36 seats; 14 for Fijians and other Pacific Islanders (two of which were nominated by the Great Council of Chiefs), 12 for Indo-Fijians and 10 for all other ethnic groups. The total number of registered voters was 156,683; 75,768 Indo-Fijians, 74,575 Fijians and 6,340 General electors. Members of the Legislative Council were elected from two types of constituencies; communal and cross-voting, with voters being able to cast four votes each. Each voter cast a single vote in one of the 25 communal constituencies, in which they could only vote for a candidate of their own ethnicity. In the three three-seat cross-voting constituencies, voters voted for a candidate from each of the three ethnic groups. Campaign For the first time, the elections were a largely partisan event, dominated by the Fijian Alliance Party and the Indo-Fijian Federation Party. A total of 79 candidates, including three women, contested the elections."79 At The Barriers For Fiji's Biggest Election", Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1966, pp13–14 Results Alliance Party 214872 23 Federation Party 113310 9 #880000 National Democratic Party 6874 0 Independents 78644 2 Nominated members 2 30372 Fiji Elections By constituency SeatCandidatePartyVotes%NotesFijian seatsCakaudroveJone NaisaraAlliance Party4,908 ElectedAnare M. TuidrakiIndependent949 Invalid votes314–Lau–RotumaJonati MavoaAlliance PartyUnopposedElectedLomaiviti/KadavuSolomone MomoivaluAlliance PartyUnopposedElectedMacuata/BuaEmosi VuakataganeAlliance Party2,885 ElectedMilitoni Vereaqali LeweniqilaIndependent1,774 Invalid votes207–North West Viti LevuSakeasi WaqanivavalagiAlliance Party6,354 ElectedIsaia VakabuaIndependent1,670 Jone RavunakanaIndependent1,268 Invalid votes191–Rewa–SuvaAlipate SikivouAlliance Party4,427 ElectedJone Cure MataitiniIndependent1,779 Noa Niubalavu NawalowaloIndependent1,268 Invalid votes158–South Central Viti LevuDavid ToganivaluAlliance Party4,368 ElectedPenaia Lalabalavu LatianaraIndependent981 Meli Radelaiburelevu LokiIndependent873 Ifereimi NakaiwaluIndependent205 Invalid votes182–South West Viti LevuPeniame NaqasimaAlliance Party5,600 ElectedApisai ToraNational Democratic Party2,632 Invalid votes133–TailevuWilliam Brown ToganivaluAlliance Party3,347 ElectedLivai VolavolaIndependent1,530 Meli Saronicava BaleilakebaIndependent383 Invalid votes187–Council of Chiefs nomineesGeorge Cakobau ElectedLosalini Raravuya DoviElectedGeneral seatsEastern and CentralWesley BarrettAlliance Party816 ElectedRobert Spowart Independent132 Invalid votes11–NorthernHarold Brockett GibsonIndependent392 ElectedFred ArchibaldIndependent292 UnseatedHugh ThaggardIndependent151 Lawrence SimpsonIndependent73 Invalid votes33–SuvaJohn FalveyAlliance Party1,544 Re-electedCharles StinsonIndependent1,384 ElectedWilliam YeeAlliance Party1,381 ElectedMargaret BainAlliance Party1,288 Invalid votes4–West Viti LevuRonald KermodeAlliance PartyUnopposedRe-electedRobin YarrowAlliance PartyUnopposedElectedIndo-Fijian seatsNorth-East Vanua LevuJames MadhavanFederation Party5,04966.9Re-electedGaya PrasadIndependent2,49433.1Invalid votes320–North-East Viti LevuC. A. ShahFederation Party3,79958.2Re-electedVishnu DeoAlliance Party1,95530.0V. P. BajpaiIndependent77011.8Invalid votes100–North EasternRam Jati SinghFederation Party2,32865.3ElectedHarish Chandra KohliIndependent1,23834.7Invalid votes206–North-West Viti LevuR. D. PatelFederation Party4,704 ElectedJames Shankar SinghAlliance Party4,421 Invalid votes104–South-Central Viti LevuM. T. KhanFederation Party4,380 ElectedRamanlal I. KapadiaIndependent1,650 B.D. MotiIndependent67 B. D. LakshmanIndependent24 Invalid votes150–South-West Viti LevuA. D. PatelFederation Party7,601 Re-electedAyodhya PrasadAlliance Party4,025 Invalid votes167–SuvaIrene Jai NarayanFederation Party5,67667.1ElectedAndrew DeokiIndependent2,77932.9UnseatedInvalid votes108–Tailevu-RewaK. C. RamrakhaFederation Party3,22071.5ElectedK. B. SinghIndependent67715.1Ram Lochan ReganIndependent60413.4Invalid votes105–West Viti Levu IndianSidiq KoyaFederation Party6,318 Re-electedJaswant SinghIndependent2,221 C. A. PatelIndependent19 Invalid votes201–Source: Pacific Islands MonthlyPacific Islands Monthly Cross-voting seatsConstituencyEthnic groupCandidatePartyVotes%NotesCentralFijianEdward CakobauAlliance PartyUnopposedRe-electedGeneralDouglas Walkden-BrownAlliance Party21,208 ElectedJames Ah KoyIndependent5,604 David WhippyIndependent2,622 Trevor McNallyIndependent976 Invalid votes11,518–Indo-FijianAbdul LateefAlliance Party15,498 ElectedMadho Singh TikaramFederation Party13,487 C. P. SinghIndependent7,939 UnseatedShiu Narayan KanhaiIndependent1,505 M. ColumbusIndependent1,077 M. AzamIndependent987 Invalid votes1,584–Northern and EasternFijianKamisese MaraAlliance Party26,025 Re-electedNemani WakaIndependent8,635 Informal885–GeneralLindsay VerrierAlliance PartyUnopposedElectedIndo-FijianVijay R. SinghAlliance Party26,634 ElectedVijay SinghFederation Party8,068 Invalid votes808–WesternFijianJoshua ToganivaluAlliance Party25,960 ElectedPenaia RokovuniFederation Party23,171 Isikeli NadaloNational Democratic Party4,242 Invalid votes2,085–GeneralLoloma LivingstonAlliance Party23,768 ElectedPeter DavisIndependent22,677 Invalid votes8,882–Indo-FijianK. S. ReddyAlliance Party28,200 ElectedDeo NarayanFederation Party25,509 Invalid votes1,729–Source: Pacific Islands Monthly Aftermath Following the elections, the two independents joined the Alliance Party. A new government was formed with Kamisese Mara as Leader of Government Business.Ratu Mara heads Fiji's new government Pacific Islands Monthly, November 1966, p10 The Executive Council consisted of six elected members and four civil servants.Fiji's new government Pacific Islands Monthly, November 1966, p11 1966 Executive CouncilPositionMemberLeader of Government BusinessKamisese MaraNatural ResourcesAttorney GeneralJustin LewisActing Chief SecretaryIan ThomsonCommerce, Industry and TourismEdward CakobauCommunications and WorksCharles StinsonFinancial SecretaryHarry RichieSecretary for Fijian Affairs and Local GovernmentPenaia GanilauSocial ServicesVijay R. SinghUndersecretary for Social ServicesK. S. ReddyWithout portfolioJohn Falvey At the first meeting of the Legislative Council on 11 November, Ronald Kermode was elected Speaker unopposed, with James Madhavan elected Deputy Speaker.Fiji's New Opposition Gets Down To Business Pacific Islands Monthly, December 1966, p9 Full ministerial government was introduced on 1 September 1967. On the same day, the Federation Party MLCs walked out of the Legislative Council.And in Fiji the phrase is, 'We won't co-operate' Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1967, pp19–20 After they missed three meetings, the nine Indo-Fijian communal seats were declared vacant and a series of by-elections held in 1968. 1967 CabinetPositionMinisterChief MinisterKamisese MaraMinister for Commerce, Industry and LabourEdward CakobauMinister for Communications, Works and TourismCharles StinsonMinister for Fijian Affairs and Local GovernmentPenaia GanilauMinister for FinanceHarry RichieMinister for Natural ResourcesDouglas Walkden-BrownMinister without PortfolioJohn FalveyMinister for Social ServicesVijay R. SinghSource: Pacific Islands MonthlyPacific Islands Monthly See also List of members of the Parliament of Fiji (1966–1972) References Category:Elections in Fiji Fiji General Category:Colony of Fiji Fiji Fiji Fiji