Goes To Polls

[?]jslims Won't [?]rticipate

But Rest Of Fiji

HERE will be only one uncontested seat in the mid gust elections for the Fiji jislative Council. Mr. M. H. >tt, barrister and solicitor, of Suva, i been returned unopposed for the

rth-Western Division.

►n the other hand, Indian candi es for the same Division have re than made up for lack of an jtion for a European member, less than five candidates taking field. Out of this medley of [ring talent anything could hey are Mr. Ajodhya Prasad, sitting member described as an iculturist, of Lautoka; Mr. hma Das Lakshman, printer, of itoka; Mr. Chandrasen Chattur gh, fanner, of Ba; Mr. Din u Prasad, builder and general tractor, Lautoka; and Mr. K. ha Reddy, cultivator, of Nadi, wo European candidates will best the Southern Division. They Mr. John Neil Falvey, barrister solicitor; and Mr. James ton Turner, company director, i of Suva. Mr. Falvey is the ng member. he Indian candidates are Mr. mu Deo, agent; Mr. Hari ran, barrister and solicitor; and Odin Ramrakha, law clerk, reside in Suva. Mr. Vishnu Deo represented this electorate for ly years. l the Eastern Division the ng European member, Mr. H.

Gibson, barrister and solicitor, jabasa,’ is opposed by Mr. F. G. tiibald, planter, of Savu Savu. tie Indian contestants in the e Division are Mr. J.

Ihavan, printer, publisher and mission agent, the retiring aber; and Mr. Jam?nadas Kanji, e assistant, of Labasa. ections will be held in the them and North Western sions on August 18, and in the ;ern Division between August ind 18.

Muslim Boycott

bOM announcements made by various Muslim bodies in Fiji it seems certain that few lims will vote or take any part he elections. is one point on which they all se. Even the Fiji Muslim League the Muslim Association of Fiji, i bitterly antagonistic groups, this occasion meet on common md.

At present the Muslim? minority is catered for by the appointment by Government of a nominated Muslim member. The Government nominee, for obvious reasons, has not always been acceptable to the Muslim community, who naturally would prefer a representative answerable not to Government but to the Muslim* community, and whose directions he would be obliged to carry out if he were an elected member.

The President of the Association said that the present Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Lennox Boyd, has told the Association that he considered it was premature to grant separate representation for the Muslims.

The Fiji Muslim League has

advertised through the or instructing its members to abs from canvassing, voting or tak part in the forthcoming Legisl Council elections. ™ ln Council Just dissoh Mr. Abdul Samad was the Mus* member nominated by i Governor. According to Mr. A K Sahu Khan, President of th Muslim Association of Fiji, he is by no means a well-known memb< ■ of the Muslim community. “He ha been seen in Council but not heard”, said Mr. Sahu Khan.

The Association has sent a resolution to the Governor asking him not to nominate a Muslim to Council, and has also requested all Muslims not to accept nomination.