People's National Party (Fiji)
Encyclopedia
The People's National Party (PNP) is a former Fiji
an political party.
(PANU) and the Protector of Fiji (BKV), which were both formally deregistered on 23 August 2005. Both parties drew most of their support from Ba Province
, and one of their stated goals in uniting was to give the people of Ba a single party to represent their interests in the political arena.
The merger soon began to unravel. On 25 November 2005, Senator
Ponipate Lesavua
announced that he would play a role in an attempt to revive and reregister the defunct PANU, on the basis of what he said was public demand. The Fiji Times
reported on 11 January 2006 that the party had been reregistered. In another development, Lesavua said on 23 January that the BKV had also seceded from the PNP and had signed an agreement to merge with PANU.
In a further twist to the saga, the PNP, the BKV, and PANU decided on 5 March to re-merge, this time under the PANU banner, with Ratu
Sairusi Nagagavoka
, the Tui Ba (Paramount Chief of Ba), as its leader. On 2 March, Fiji Live
revealed that 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. He also told Fiji Television
that he hoped the Grand Coalition would understand the reasons for the merger. "In politics there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends but we hope they understand and they will be informed of the move," he said. He cited concern at the merger of the United Fiji Party (SDL) with the nationalistic Conservative Alliance
(CAMV) as a factor in the decision.
Meli Bogileka
, a former Cabinet Minister
, was General Secretary of the PNP at the time of its dissolution. He announced on 7 March that a letter would be sent to the Grand Coalition Initiative Group, an alliance of ethnic Fijian
parties to which the PNP had belonged, informing them that the party no longer existed.
reserved for ethnic Fijians
. (Under Fiji's complex electoral system, 46 of the 71 seats in the House of Representatives are reserved for voters registered on closed ethnic roles; 23 are allocated to indigenous Fijians). The party was open to contesting other seats also, Bogileka said, but considered it important to prioritize. He said the party wanted to negotiate electoral alliances with other ethnic Fijian parties to secure vote-transfer agreements under Fiji's instant-runoff voting
system, and on 13 August it signed Memorandum of Understanding with five other parties, confirming an agreement made on 31 July, to contest the general election
scheduled for 2006 as part of a coalition.
Before its merger into PANU, the party planned to contest the Fijian communal constituencies
of Serua
, Nadroga Navosa
, North West Urban
, Bua
, Ra
, Ba West
and Ba West
, and the open electorates
of Navosa, Nadroga
, and Tavua
, according to Bogileka. The so-called Open electorates, unlike the communal constituencies, are elected by universal suffrage
.
said the move was unexpected and disappointing, and expressed doubts about whether the newly merged party would win any seats in the upcoming election.
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.
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 UnityParty of National Unity (Fiji)
The Party of National Unity is a Fijian 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...
(PANU) and the Protector of Fiji (BKV), which were both formally deregistered on 23 August 2005. Both parties drew most of their support from Ba Province
Local government of Fiji
Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces; the self-governing island of Rotuma and its dependencies lie outside any of the four divisions. Each division is headed by a Commissioner, appointed by the Fijian government...
, and one of their stated goals in uniting was to give the people of Ba a single party to represent their interests in the political arena.
The merger soon began to unravel. On 25 November 2005, Senator
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...
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...
announced that he would play a role in an attempt to revive and reregister the defunct PANU, on the basis of what he said was public demand. 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 the party had been reregistered. In another development, Lesavua said on 23 January that the BKV had also seceded from the PNP and had signed an agreement to merge with PANU.
In a further twist to the saga, the PNP, the BKV, and PANU decided on 5 March to re-merge, this time under the PANU banner, with 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...
, the Tui Ba (Paramount Chief of Ba), as its leader. On 2 March, Fiji Live
Fiji 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 that 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. He also 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....
that he hoped the Grand Coalition would understand the reasons for the merger. "In politics there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends but we hope they understand and they will be informed of the move," he said. He cited concern at the merger of the United Fiji Party (SDL) with the nationalistic Conservative Alliance
Conservative Alliance (Fiji)
The Conservative Alliance was a far-right political party in Fiji, and a member of the ruling coalition government. It was commonly known as the CAMV, a combination of the initials of its English and Fijian names...
(CAMV) as a factor in the decision.
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...
, a former Cabinet Minister
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...
, was General Secretary of the PNP at the time of its dissolution. He announced on 7 March that a letter would be sent to the Grand Coalition Initiative Group, an alliance 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 to which the PNP had belonged, informing them that the party no longer existed.
Background to the merger
On 24 June 2005, Bogileka announced that the party would concentrate on communal constituenciesCommunal constituencies (Fiji)
Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. In communal constituencies, electors enrolled as ethnic Fijians, Indo-Fijians, Rotuman Islanders, or General Electors vote for a candidate of their own respective ethnic groups, in constituencies that have...
reserved for ethnic Fijians
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...
. (Under Fiji's complex electoral system, 46 of the 71 seats in the House of Representatives are reserved for voters registered on closed ethnic roles; 23 are allocated to indigenous Fijians). The party was open to contesting other seats also, Bogileka said, but considered it important to prioritize. He said the party wanted to negotiate electoral alliances with other ethnic Fijian parties to secure vote-transfer agreements under Fiji's instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
system, and on 13 August it signed Memorandum of Understanding with five other parties, confirming an agreement made on 31 July, to contest the general 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 2006 as part of a coalition.
Before its merger into PANU, the party planned to contest the Fijian communal constituencies
Communal constituencies (Fiji)
Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. In communal constituencies, electors enrolled as ethnic Fijians, Indo-Fijians, Rotuman Islanders, or General Electors vote for a candidate of their own respective ethnic groups, in constituencies that have...
of Serua
Serua (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Serua Fijian Provincial Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians....
, Nadroga Navosa
Nadroga Navosa (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Nadroga Navosa Fijian Provincial Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians....
, North West Urban
North West Urban (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
North West Fijian Urban Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians. .- Election results : In the following tables, the primary vote refers to first-preference votes cast...
, Bua
Bua (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Bua Fijian Provincial Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians....
, Ra
Ra (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Ra Fijian Provincial Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians....
, Ba West
Ba West (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Ba West Fijian Provincial Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians....
and Ba West
Ba West (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Ba West Fijian Provincial Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians....
, and the open electorates
Open constituencies (Fiji)
Open constituencies represent one of several electoral models employed in the past and present in the Fijian electoral system. They derive their name from the fact that they are "open": unlike the communal constituencies, the 25 members of the House of Representatives who represent open...
of Navosa, Nadroga
Nadroga (Open Constituency, Fiji)
Nadroga Open is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 25 open constituencies elected by universal suffrage . Like the other open electorates, it came into being in 1999 and was used for the parliamentary elections of 1999, 2001, and 2006...
, and Tavua
Tavua (Open Constituency, Fiji)
Tavua Open is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 25 open constituencies elected by universal suffrage . Like the other open electorates, it came into being in 1999 and was used for the parliamentary elections of 1999, 2001, and 2006...
, according to Bogileka. The so-called Open electorates, unlike the communal constituencies, are elected by universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
.
Reaction from the Grand Coalition
The Grand Coalition Initiative Group, of which the PNP had been a member, said on 9 March that it was still in the dark about why the PNP had withdrawn and merged into PANU. Grand Coalition President Tomasi VakatoraTomasi Vakatora
Tomasi Vakatora was a Fijian statesman who held Cabinet office and served as Speaker of the House of Representatives....
said the move was unexpected and disappointing, and expressed doubts about whether the newly merged party would win any seats in the upcoming election.