1972 Fijian general election: Difference between revisions

1972 Fijian general election
All 52 seats in the House of Representatives; 26 seats needed for a majority
Prime Minister before election; Kamisese Mara; Alliance	Subsequent Prime Minister ; Kamisese Mara; Alliance

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Latest revision as of 14:11, 11 June 2023

General elections were held in Fiji between 15 and 29 April 1972,^[1] the first since independence from the United Kingdom in 1970. They were characterised by the lack of rancour between racial groups, typical of the 1966 general election and the 1968 by-elections.

The result was a landslide for the Alliance Party of the Prime Minister, Kamisese Mara, which won 33 of the 52 seats, and surprised many observers by capturing almost 25 percent of the Indo-Fijian vote. The Indo-Fijian-dominated National Federation Party led by Sidiq Koya won the remaining 19 seats. The election re-affirmed the political allegiances of the past, with the Alliance Party winning all the Fijian Communal seats with 82% of the vote, as well as all the General Communal seats. The National Federation Party (NFP) won all the Indian Communal sets with 73% of the vote. Voter turnout was 85.2% in the communal seats.

Electoral system

The 52-member House of Representatives consisted of 27 members elected from communal constituencies (12 Fijian, 12 Indo-Fijian and three general electors) and 25 members elected from national constituencies (10 Fijian, 10 Indo-Fijian and five general electors),^[2] all elected by first-past-the-post voting.

Voters could cast up to four votes; one in their own communal constituency, and three in their national constituency, in which they voted for a Fijian, Indo-Fijian and general elector candidate.^[3]

Results


19 33
Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party	388,550	57.52	33	+10
	National Federation Party	241,866	35.81	19	+10
	Fijian Independent Party	1,535	0.23	0	New
	Independents	43,521	6.44	0	–2
Total		675,472	100.00	52	+16

Valid votes		675,472	97.94
Invalid/blank votes		14,201	2.06
Total ballots cast		169,126	–
Registered voters/turnout		205,617	82.25
Source: Nohlen et al.

Aftermath

Following the elections, R. D. Patel of the National Federation Party became Speaker.

Prime Minister Mara carried out a cabinet reshuffle, appointing a new cabinet with 14 ministers, an increase from 12 in the previous government. He appointed two members to the Senate – John Falvey and Penaia Ganilau – to allow them to join the cabinet.^[4]

Position	Minister
Prime Minister	Kamisese Mara
Deputy Prime Minister	Edward Cakobau
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests	Douglas Walkden-Brown
Attorney General	John Falvey
Minister for Commerce, Industries and Co-operatives	M. T. Khan
Minister for Communications, Works and Tourism	Penaia Ganilau
Minister for Education, Youth and Sport	Jone Naisara
Minister for Fijian Affairs	Willian Toganivalu
Minister for Finance	Charles Stinson
Minister for Health	James Shankar Singh
Minister for Labour	Jonati Mavoa
Minister for Lands, Mines and Mineral Resources	Josua Toganivalu
Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Social Welfare	Vijay R. Singh
Minister without Portfolio	George Cakobau
Source: Pacific Islands Monthly

References

^ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p653 ISBN 0-19-924959-8
^ Bigger House Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1972, p25
^ Nohlen et al., p648
^ Surprise changes in the Cabinet in Fiji Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1972, p13

[1] Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p653 ISBN 0-19-924959-8

[2] Bigger House Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1972, p25

[3] Nohlen et al., p648

[4] Surprise changes in the Cabinet in Fiji Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1972, p13

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|none}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
+{{Use Australian English|date=June 2023}}
 {{Infobox election
 | country = Fiji
@@ Line 7: / Line 9: @@
 | next_election = March 1977 Fijian general election
 | next_year = 1977
-| seats_for_election = All 52 seats in the [[House of Representatives of Fiji|House of Representatives]]
+| seats_for_election = All 52 seats in the [[Fijian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
+| majority_seats = 26
 | election_date = 15–29 April 1972
@@ Line 15: / Line 18: @@
 | last_election1 = 23 seats
 | seats1 = '''33'''
-| seat_change1 = {{increase}}10
+| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 10
 | popular_vote1 = '''388,550'''
 | percentage1 = '''57.52%'''
-| swing1 = {{increase}}5.58pp
+| swing1 = {{increase}} 5.58pp
-| image2 = {{Election image filler|National Federation Party|NFP}}
+| image2 = {{Election image filler|National Federation Party|NFP|110px|150px}}
 | leader2 = [[Sidiq Koya]]
 | party2 = National Federation Party
 | last_election2 = 9 seats
 | seats2 = 19
-| seat_change2 = {{increase}}10
+| seat_change2 = {{increase}} 10
 | popular_vote2 = 241,866
 | percentage2 = 35.81%
-| swing2 = {{increase}}6.76pp
+| swing2 = {{increase}} 6.76pp
 | title = Prime Minister
@@ Line 38: / Line 41: @@
 }}{{Politics of Fiji}}
-'''General elections''' were held in [[Fiji]] between 15 and 29 April 1972,<ref>[[Dieter Nohlen]], Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II'', p653 {{ISBN|0-19-924959-8}}</ref> the first since independence from the [[United Kingdom]] in 1970. They were characterised by the lack of rancour between racial groups, typical of the [[1966 Fijian general election|1966 general election]] and the [[1968 Fijian by-elections|1968 by-elections]].
+General elections were held in [[Fiji]] between 15 and 29 April 1972,<ref>[[Dieter Nohlen]], Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II'', p653 {{ISBN|0-19-924959-8}}</ref> the first since independence from the [[United Kingdom]] in 1970. They were characterised by the lack of rancour between racial groups, typical of the [[1966 Fijian general election|1966 general election]] and the [[1968 Fijian by-elections|1968 by-elections]].
-The result was a landslide for the [[Alliance Party (Fiji)|Alliance Party]] of the [[Prime Minister of Fiji|Prime Minister]], [[Kamisese Mara]], which won 33 of the 52 seats, and surprised many observers by capturing almost 25 percent of the [[Indo-Fijians|Indo-Fijian]] vote. The Indo-Fijian-dominated [[National Federation Party]] led by [[Sidiq Koya]] won the remaining 19 seats. The election re-affirmed the political allegiances of the past, with the Alliance Party winning all the Fijian Communal seats with 82% of the vote, as well as all the General Communal seats. The National Federation Party (NFP) won all the Indian Communal sets with 73% of the vote. Voter turnout was 85.2% in the communal seats.
+The result was a [[landslide victory|landslide]] for the [[Alliance Party (Fiji)|Alliance Party]] of the [[Prime Minister of Fiji|Prime Minister]], [[Kamisese Mara]], which won 33 of the 52 seats, and surprised many observers by capturing almost 25 percent of the [[Indo-Fijians|Indo-Fijian]] vote. The Indo-Fijian-dominated [[National Federation Party]] led by [[Sidiq Koya]] won the remaining 19 seats. The election re-affirmed the political allegiances of the past, with the Alliance Party winning all the Fijian Communal seats with 82% of the vote, as well as all the General Communal seats. The National Federation Party (NFP) won all the Indian Communal sets with 73% of the vote. Voter turnout was 85.2% in the communal seats.
 ==Electoral system==
@@ Line 49: / Line 52: @@
 ==Results==
 {{Election results
+|image={{Parliament diagram
+ |background = #f8f9fa
+ |n1 = 19 | p1 = National Federation Party
+ |n2 = 33 | p2 = Alliance Party (Fiji)
+}}
 |party1=[[Alliance Party (Fiji)|Alliance Party]]|votes1=388550|seats1=33|sc1=+10
 |party2=[[National Federation Party]]|votes2=241866|seats2=19|sc2=+10

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Latest revision as of 14:11, 11 June 2023

Electoral system

Results

Aftermath

See also

References