Fiji Legislative

Vital Period Ahead For New Fiji Legislative

Fiji’s newly-enlarged Legislative Council, elected under a lew Constitution, should provide some fireworks, for the next ; ew years will be vital ones on the Fiji political scene.

HE Council will hold office for five years, and some of its mem s hold widely divergent views— ticularly some of the Fijians and le of the members of an Indian up calling itself the “federation”, fhis group had three men elected

—A. D. Patel, of Nadi (Western Con stituency), S. M. Koya (North Viti Levu) and J. Madhaven (Northern).

These three men were closely asso ciated with the troubles in the cane fields in 1960, and were leaders of a loose federation of farmers.

It will be interesting to see how Mr, Patel, who is a lawyer and a brilliant orator in court, will fare in the cut and thrust of Council debate.

At the elections the Fijian people were given the vote for the first time and women of all races were given the vote.

The new Council comprises a Speaker, 19 official members and 18 unofficial. Official membership is the Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General and Financial Secretary, ex-officio, and not more than 16 others. Un official membership is 12 elected members (four Europeans, four Indians, four Fijians), two Fijians nominated by the Council of Chiefs, two Europeans and two Indians nominated by the Government.

The previous Council had 15 unofficial members —six of them (three Europeans, three Indians) elected. All the Fijians were nomina ted by the Council of Chiefs and not by a direct vote of the Fijian people. The Government also re tained a majority of one in the old Council.

There were no women candidates at the elections.

There are four new members of

the Council—Messrs. R. A. Kearsley (European, Southern), S. M. Koya, A. D. Patel and F. G. Archibald (European, Northern), Messrs.

Kearsley and Koya are in the Coun cil for the first time but the other two members both served for a term some years ago.

Only one sitting member lost his seat—veteran Harold Gibson, of Labasa (European, Northern), who had held the constituency since 1937 except for one term. That term he lost to copra planter F. G. Archibald, and it was Mr. Archibald who turned the tables again. But Mr. Archibald got in by only 17 votes on this occasion.

There are six lawyers among the 12 elected members of the new Council —Messrs. Patel, Koya, J. N.

Falvey (Suva), A. I. N. Deoki (Southern), R. G. Kermode (Western) and R. A. Kearsley (Southern).

At the outset of the last Council there were five lawyers out of the six elected members, but the number was reduced by one when an Indian, Mr. Vijay Singh, resigned to take up an appointment in the Civil Service, Mr. Patel had an easy win by 2,898 votes, while his colleague, Mr, Koya, had a margin of 518. Mr.

Koya’s election disproved a long held convention that a Muslim could

R. A. (Peter) Kearsley, a Suva lawyer, [?]rowly won the European Southern [?]ision seat by defeating Mr. D. W.

Brown, a farmer, by 13 votes.

Photo: Rob Wright.

Election Scenes

Scenes such as these were com mon all over Fiji in late April when the people of the Colony went to the polls to elect a new Legislative Council. At left is the campaign centre of Mr. A. I. N. Deoki, who won the Southern Indian seat. At right, Mr. Harry Halstead, Return ing Officer for the Southern and Central Divisions, is shown at work with his team of Fijian and Indian assistance. — Photos: Rob Wright.

/er be elected to the Legislative uncil because of weight of num s against him. But Mr. Koya had benefit of a soundly-based organ tion.

Messrs Kearsley, and D. W.

Dwn, a Nausori farmer, had a se tussle for the Southern Euro m Constituency, with Mr. Kearsley aping home by a mere 13 votes, third candidate, Mr. A. Gardner, luva auctioneer and Rewa publican, led only 25 votes.

"Amazed"

Mr. Kermode won comfortably in Western Division, but the size of vote of his opponent, Mr. S. L. •wick, who styled himself a orkers” representative”, amazed in y people. Mr. Berwick, a rnalist, works for a Nadi news ier with which Mr. Patel is closely ociated.

Mr. Deoki won the Southern Indian t by a comfortable majority, but had many anxious moments before numbers went up. Feeling before id was that a fellow lawyer, R. L. gan, mignt topple him, and he also 1 opposition from Mr. K. B. Singh, former MLC, who had a strong lowing.

Mr. C. P. Bidesi, another candidate the same seat, although not ex ited to win, was expected to pick enough of Deoki’s votes to make difficult for the latter.

Mr. Falvey was returned un 30sed, as were Ratu K. K. T. Mara

[?]u Penaia Ganilau easily won the Fijian [?]stern Constituency from four opponents.

Photo: Rob Wright.

istern Fijian) and Ravuama Vuni u (Northern Fijian). Ravuama was ittle fortunate as what would have ;n his major opponent, Adi Tui maloma, did not go ahead with her ; ns to stand, and another possible ponent, through a misunderstand ;, went to Savusavu instead of basa to lodge his nomination.

Ratu Penaia had a majority of ire than 5,000 in a five-cornered itest, and an absolute majority of »re than 3,000. \mong election sidelights was the ;h number of informal votes in i Fijian electorates, particularly in i Western constituency.

Six candidates, who polled less m 10 per cent, of the votes, lost ir <£so deposit. These are A, R. lu Khan, M. Singh, A. Waqabaca, keli Nadolo, Ratu William ganivalu and A. Gardner.

Nominated Members \fter the result of the poll was 3wn the Government named the ir officially nominated members of Council: Mr. Chandra Pal Singh, Navua. and Mr. Chiragh Ali ah, of Rakiraki, who will repre t the Indians; and Mr. J. A. Moore 1 Mr. C. D. Aidney, representing Europeans, rhe Fijian nominated members scted by the Council of Chiefs, re named before the elections. ;y are Ratu Edward Cakobau and tu George Cakobau. 3f the Government nominated mbers, Mr, Moore was the only ; who was a member of the previ i Council. He is 54, and a Suva ;inessman. Mr. Aidney, 39, is the sident of the Suva Chamber of mmerce. Mr. Chandra Pal Singh, owns a dairy farm and has other ;rests. Mr. Chiragh Ali Shah, 42, also a farmer with a variety of ier interests.