Party of National Unity (Fiji)
Encyclopedia
The Party of National Unity (better known by its acronym of PANU) is a Fiji
an political party founded by Ratu
Sairusi Nagagavoka
in 1998; as of 2006, Nagagavoka is the President of the party. A well-known member of the party was Apisai Tora
. Presenting itself as a multiracial party representing the interests of Ba Province in particular, it formed part of the Fiji Labour Party
-led People's Coalition
in the general election
of 1999, and won four seats in the House of Representatives
. It lost all of its seats in the following election
, in 2001, but party stalwart Ponipate Lesavua
was appointed to the Senate
as one of 8 nominees of Opposition Leader
Mahendra Chaudhry
.
(PNP). Following the completion of the merger, PANU and the BKV were both formally deregistered on 23 August 2005.
of ethnic Fijian
parties seeking to present a united front for the forthcoming election
, scheduled for August or September 2006. On 25 November 2005, Lesavua announced that in response to public demand, he and a number of others were spearheading attempts to revive the party and reregister it. The necessary documents would be filed with the Elections Office within a week, Lesavua said. "The party is being revived because of the great demand from people at the grassroot level for PANU to contest the 2006 general election, he stated.
The Fiji Times
reported on 11 January 2006 that Lesavua had made the necessary arrangements the previous week to reregister the party. The failed merger with the BKV had been on the basis of a promise not to enter into any racially exclusive or biased coalition. The breach of this promise was a dangerous trend amongst the majority of Fiji's political parties, Lesavua said.
Lesavua condemned the overwhelming dominance of indigenous Fijians in the present Cabinet
. "Most of those in cabinet are either Fijian or Rotuman even though our country is a multi-racial country," he complained. He said that PANU would promote the principles of justice, love, unity, and fairness, to ensure that all citizens were successful, regardless of their race, religion, or creed.
In another twist to the ongoing saga of PANU-BKV relations, Lesavua announced on 23 January 2006 that the BKV, like PANU, had seceded from the PNP and had signed an agreement to merge with PANU, in order to present a united front representing western Fiji. Lesavua also told Fiji Village
that the party would be sharing preferences with the Fiji Labour Party
and the National Alliance Party
.
revealed on 2 March that the abortive merger of PANU with the PNP had been resurrected. Officials of the PNP and PANU had met over the weekend at the village of Sorokoba, Ba, to formalize a merger of their two parties. "In politics there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends but we hope they understand and they will be informed of the move," PNP leader Meli Bogileka
told Fiji Television
. It was announced on 5 March that the BKV has also joined the re-merged party, which will contest the 2006 election under the PANU banner. Recapturing the three seats that it won in 2000 would be a priority, said Ponipate Lesavua.
Reacting to the merger, Jale Baba
, campaign coordinator of the United Fiji Party (SDL), said that it was a sad move. Establishing a party for the purpose of promoting one particular region in Parliament was "provincialism", he said.
quoted Lesavua on 20 January 2006 as saying that PANU wanted to contest all parliamentary seats - Fijian, Indian, and Open - from Ba Province, and was looking for candidates who would represent all races and both genders. Younger candidates were also being sought, he said. Lesavua defended the notion of a provincial party. "Since Ba Province is the power base for the country's economy, there is a need to have a political party for the province's people," he told the Sun. On 27 January, he announced that PANU would give its first "preferences" to the Fiji Labour Party
(Fiji's electoral system
allows for transferable voting), and would also cooperate with the United Peoples Party
and the National Alliance Party
.
1 % and no seats.
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...
an political party founded by Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Sairusi Nagagavoka
Sairusi Nagagavoka
Ratu Sairusi Nagagavoka is a Fijian chief and political leader from Ba Province. He holds the traditional title of Koronubu na Momo na Tui Ba , commonly abbreviated to Tui Ba Bulu, and as such is one of two paramount chiefs in the Ba district of Ba Province...
in 1998; as of 2006, Nagagavoka is the President of the party. A well-known member of the party was Apisai Tora
Apisai Tora
Mohammad Apisai Vuniyayawa Tora is a Fijian politician and former soldier and trade unionist. As a labour leader, he was a fighter for dock workers. As a soldier, he served in Malaya and is currently the President of the Ex-Servicemen's League....
. Presenting itself as a multiracial party representing the interests of Ba Province in particular, it formed part of the Fiji Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
-led People's Coalition
People's Coalition (Fiji)
The People's Coalition was an alliance of three political parties in Fiji, formed in March 1999 to contest the parliamentary election to be held in May that year...
in the general election
Fiji election of 1999
General elections were held in Fiji between 8 and 15 May 1999. They were the first election held under the revised Constitution of 1997, which instituted a new electoral system and resulted in Mahendra Chaudhry taking office as Fiji's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.-Electoral system:Previously,...
of 1999, and won four seats in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives (Fiji)
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...
. It lost all of its seats in the following election
Fiji election of 2001
The Constitution of Fiji was restored by a High Court decision on 15 November 2000, following the failure of the political upheaval in which the government had been deposed and the constitution suspended in May that year. On 1 March 2001, the Appeal Court upheld the decision. An election to...
, in 2001, but party stalwart Ponipate Lesavua
Ponipate Lesavua
Ponipate Tawase Lesavua is a Fijian politician, who leads the Party of National Unity, which draws most of its support from Ba Province in the West of the country. The former Police officer, who spent 20 years in the Criminal Investigation Department, is an outspoken politician, who has championed...
was appointed to the Senate
Senate (Fiji)
The Senate of Fiji is the upper chamber of Parliament. It is the less powerful of the two chambers; it may not initiate legislation, but may amend or veto it. The Senate's powers over financial bills are more restricted: it may veto them in their entirety, but may not amend them...
as one of 8 nominees of Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Fiji)
The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It did not originate in Fiji but has a long tradition; in British constitutional theory, the Leader of the Opposition must pose a formal alternative to the government, ready...
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
.
Merger with BKV
PANU's chief rival for support in Ba Province was the Protector of Fiji, better known locally as Bai Kei Viti (BKV), with which it merged in 2004 to form the People's National PartyPeople's National Party (Fiji)
The People's National Party is a former Fijian political party.-Party history:The history of the PNP is representative of the many complex about-turns of Fijian politics: it was formed by a merger of the Party of National Unity and the Protector of Fiji , which were both formally deregistered on...
(PNP). Following the completion of the merger, PANU and the BKV were both formally deregistered on 23 August 2005.
Reregistration of PANU
Not all PANU supporters were happy about the party's dissolution, however, or about the decision of the merged party to participate in the Grand Coalition Initiative Group, an electoral coalitionCoalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
of 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...
parties seeking to present a united front for the forthcoming election
Fiji election of 2006
The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...
, scheduled for August or September 2006. On 25 November 2005, Lesavua announced that in response to public demand, he and a number of others were spearheading attempts to revive the party and reregister it. The necessary documents would be filed with the Elections Office within a week, Lesavua said. "The party is being revived because of the great demand from people at the grassroot level for PANU to contest the 2006 general election, he stated.
The Fiji Times
Fiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
reported on 11 January 2006 that Lesavua had made the necessary arrangements the previous week to reregister the party. The failed merger with the BKV had been on the basis of a promise not to enter into any racially exclusive or biased coalition. The breach of this promise was a dangerous trend amongst the majority of Fiji's political parties, Lesavua said.
Lesavua condemned the overwhelming dominance of indigenous Fijians in the present Cabinet
Cabinet (Fiji)
Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
. "Most of those in cabinet are either Fijian or Rotuman even though our country is a multi-racial country," he complained. He said that PANU would promote the principles of justice, love, unity, and fairness, to ensure that all citizens were successful, regardless of their race, religion, or creed.
In another twist to the ongoing saga of PANU-BKV relations, Lesavua announced on 23 January 2006 that the BKV, like PANU, had seceded from the PNP and had signed an agreement to merge with PANU, in order to present a united front representing western Fiji. Lesavua also told Fiji Village
Fiji Village
The Fiji Village is an online news service in Fiji. Published daily, it covers political, business, sporting, cultural, and other news items, and also includes the Yellow Bucket commentary, an editorial which does not necessarily reflect the views of the Fiji Village owners or staff, according to...
that the party would be sharing preferences with the Fiji Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
and the National Alliance Party
National Alliance Party of Fiji
The National Alliance Party of Fiji is a Fijian political party. It was formally registered on 18 January 2005 by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, as the claimed successor to the defunct Alliance Party, which ruled Fiji from 1967 to 1987 under the leadership of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Ganilau's...
.
New merger with PNP
Fiji LiveFiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
revealed on 2 March that the abortive merger of PANU with the PNP had been resurrected. Officials of the PNP and PANU had met over the weekend at the village of Sorokoba, Ba, to formalize a merger of their two parties. "In politics there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends but we hope they understand and they will be informed of the move," PNP leader Meli Bogileka
Meli Bogileka
Meli Bogileka is a Fijian politician. He was the Secretary of the People's National Party up to its decision to merge into the Party of National Unity on 5 March 2006. This merger, an affair complicated by several about-turns, saw Bogileka appointed Secretary of the new PANU...
told Fiji Television
Fiji Television
Fiji Television Limited is Fiji's television network. It was founded on 15 June 1994 as the first permanent television broadcasting network in the country, although television had previously been introduced temporarily in October 1991 to broadcast the Rugby World Cup as well as Cricket World Cup....
. It was announced on 5 March that the BKV has also joined the re-merged party, which will contest the 2006 election under the PANU banner. Recapturing the three seats that it won in 2000 would be a priority, said Ponipate Lesavua.
Reacting to the merger, Jale Baba
Jale Baba
Jale Baba is a Fijian businessman and political organizer. A forestry graduate of the Australian National University, he worked for Fiji Pine Limited for more than 20 years, before leaving in 1999 to start his own company- Baba Forests. He also serves as the campaign director of the ruling...
, campaign coordinator of the United Fiji Party (SDL), said that it was a sad move. Establishing a party for the purpose of promoting one particular region in Parliament was "provincialism", he said.
Towards Election 2006
The Fiji SunFiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
quoted Lesavua on 20 January 2006 as saying that PANU wanted to contest all parliamentary seats - Fijian, Indian, and Open - from Ba Province, and was looking for candidates who would represent all races and both genders. Younger candidates were also being sought, he said. Lesavua defended the notion of a provincial party. "Since Ba Province is the power base for the country's economy, there is a need to have a political party for the province's people," he told the Sun. On 27 January, he announced that PANU would give its first "preferences" to the Fiji Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
(Fiji's electoral system
Electoral system of Fiji
- Historical overview :Fiji's electoral system is the result of complex negotiations, compromises, and experiments conducted over the years leading up to and following independence from British colonial rule in 1970. A number of devices have been tried at various times to accommodate the reality...
allows for transferable voting), and would also cooperate with the United Peoples Party
United Peoples Party (Fiji)
The United Peoples Party is a political party in Fiji, whose support base lies chiefly among General Electors - Fiji Islanders who belong to ethnic minorities, such as Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, as well as multiracial people...
and the National Alliance Party
National Alliance Party of Fiji
The National Alliance Party of Fiji is a Fijian political party. It was formally registered on 18 January 2005 by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, as the claimed successor to the defunct Alliance Party, which ruled Fiji from 1967 to 1987 under the leadership of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Ganilau's...
.
Election result
The party won at the Fiji election of 2006Fiji election of 2006
The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...
1 % and no seats.