Western United Front (Fiji)
Encyclopedia
Western United Front was an ethnically Fijian
political party formed prior to the 1982 elections
and contested the election in coalition with the National Federation Party
(NFP-WUF Coalition).
, mainly in the provinces of Nadroga and Ba
. Its formation was due to disenchantment of western Fijians about not receiving fair return from the Native Land Trust Board (NLTB) from the income derived from their land. Fiji's foreign exchange earnings are mainly generated from sugar, tourism, pine and gold, produced in the western division. It was claimed that western landowners, despite providing 65% of the money that financed the NLTB, received only 9%. The Party was launched on 17 July 1981 with the following goals:
, the leader of the NFP regarded the coalition as a partnership of equals.
of March 1977 and September 1977
as an independent candidate, narrowly winning the Nadroga Fijian Communal Constituency
. A prominent member was Napolioni Dawai, a Nadi
chief, who had been an assistant Minister in the Alliance Government, but had lost pre-selection for his seat. He had been involved in disputes with tourist resort operators in Nadi regarding appropriate compensation for the use of his tribal land. Another prominent member was Isikeli Nadalo, who had formed the Nadroga Fijian Cane Growers Association and later the Fijian National Party to contest the 1963 election. He had then merged his party with Apisai Tora
's Western Democratic Party to form the National Democratic Party
, which in turn had merged with the Federation party]] to form the National Federation Party (NFP). Isikeli Nadalo was elected to the House of Representatives
in 1972 under the NFP ticket but left the party following its split in 1977.
(FLP) took place with Western United Front delegates where MP, Isikeli Nadalo argued that, "there should only be two political groups fighting the election." With the common aim of defeating the Alliance, on 10 October 1986, agreement was reached for coalition with FLP. In November 1986, when only Ratu Osea Gavidi of the WUF was endorsed as a candidate by the Coalition, which now also included the National Federation Party (NFP), WUF withdrew from the coalition. WUF fought the 1987 election in partnership with an NFP splinter group led by Sharda Nand, a supporter of Sidiq Koya
. In the elections, WUF lost ground to both the Alliance and the Labour Party, with Gavidi receiving 41.7 percent of the vote and Nadalo only 13 percent.
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...
political party formed prior to the 1982 elections
Fiji election of 1982
General elections were held in Fiji between 10 and 17 July 1982. The paradoxical results were both a triumph and a setback for the Fijian Alliance Party of the Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. The Alliance captured an unprecedented 51.8 percent of the popular vote - the first time that it...
and contested the election in coalition with the National Federation Party
National Federation Party (Fiji)
The National Federation Party is a Fijian political party founded by A.D. Patel in November 1968, as a merger of the Federation Party and the National Democratic Party...
(NFP-WUF Coalition).
The formation of the Party
Its support was concentrated in the Western DivisionWestern Division, Fiji
The Western Division of Fiji is one of Fiji's four divisions. It consists of the three provinces Ba, Nadroga-Navosa and Ra.The capital of the division is Lautoka. The division includes the western part of the largest island in Fiji, Viti Levu, with a few outlying islands, including the Yasawa...
, mainly in the provinces of Nadroga and Ba
Ba Province
Ba is a province of Fiji, occupying the north-western sector of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. It is one of fourteen Provinces in the nation of Fiji, and one of eight based in Viti Levu. It is Fiji's most populous Province, with a population of 231,760 - more than a quarter of the nation's...
. Its formation was due to disenchantment of western Fijians about not receiving fair return from the Native Land Trust Board (NLTB) from the income derived from their land. Fiji's foreign exchange earnings are mainly generated from sugar, tourism, pine and gold, produced in the western division. It was claimed that western landowners, despite providing 65% of the money that financed the NLTB, received only 9%. The Party was launched on 17 July 1981 with the following goals:
- Protect and encourage the unity of western Fijians
- Protect the interests of landowners and to defend their rights to develop their resources according to their aspirations.
- Seek changes in the Ministry of Fijian Affairs and Rural Development to improve the lives of western Fijians.
- Improve educational facilities of western Fijians and provide them opportunities in commercial and industrial enterprises.
Coalition with NFP
As the WUF had a narrow base and a regional focus it formed a coalition with NFP on 11 January 1982, because it regarded the NFP as "the most prominent political party opposed to the Alliance". Each party was to maintain its independent identity and objectives. Jai Ram ReddyJai Ram Reddy
Jai Ram Reddy is an Indo-Fijian statesman, who has had a distinguished career in both the legislative and judicial branches of the Fijian government...
, the leader of the NFP regarded the coalition as a partnership of equals.
Leadership of WUF
The leader of the party was Ratu Osea Gavidi, a Nadroga chief, who had had a long standing dispute with NLTB regarding pine plantations in Nadroga. He had contested the parliamentary electionFiji election of 1977 (March)
General elections were held in Fiji between 19 March and 2 April 1977. A split in the ethnic Fijian vote, which saw 25 percent defecting to Fijian Nationalist Party of Sakeasi Butadroka, an extremist organization which advocated the "repatriation" of Indo-Fijians to India, led to the narrow defeat...
of March 1977 and September 1977
Fiji election of 1977 (September)
Early general elections were held in Fiji between 17 and 24 September 1977, following the impasse of an earlier election that had been held in March...
as an independent candidate, narrowly winning the Nadroga Fijian Communal Constituency
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...
. A prominent member was Napolioni Dawai, a Nadi
Nadi
Nadi is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Indian or Fijian, along with a large transient population of foreign...
chief, who had been an assistant Minister in the Alliance Government, but had lost pre-selection for his seat. He had been involved in disputes with tourist resort operators in Nadi regarding appropriate compensation for the use of his tribal land. Another prominent member was Isikeli Nadalo, who had formed the Nadroga Fijian Cane Growers Association and later the Fijian National Party to contest the 1963 election. He had then merged his party with 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....
's Western Democratic Party to form the National Democratic Party
National Democratic Party (Fiji)
The National Democratic Party is the name of two political parties that have been formed in Fiji's history.The first National Democratic Party was formed in the early 1960s through a merger of Apisai Tora's Western Democratic Party with Isikeli Nadalo's Fijian National Party. It drew its support...
, which in turn had merged with the Federation party]] to form the National Federation Party (NFP). Isikeli Nadalo was elected to 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...
in 1972 under the NFP ticket but left the party following its split in 1977.
1982 Election
In the 1982 election, the WUF contested all the Fijian Communal Seats in the Western Division plus some others in adjoining provinces. Osea Gavidi narrowly lost the Nadroga Fijian seat, with 47.9% of the votes. Isikeli Nadalo won the National seat based in the Nadroga Province, while Napolioni Dawai lost his Ba-Nadi Fijian Communal seat obtaining only 22.8% of the votes. All other WUF candidates did poorly, getting less than 10% of the votes. Although WUF delivered 7% of the ethnic Fijian vote to the NFP-WUF coalition it was not enough to win enough seats to form Government. The coalition ended with the election and the leader of NFP blamed the failure of WUF to win enough Fijian votes for the coalition's loss.1987 Election
On 6 June 1986, the first meeting regarding a coalition with the Fiji Labour PartyFiji 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...
(FLP) took place with Western United Front delegates where MP, Isikeli Nadalo argued that, "there should only be two political groups fighting the election." With the common aim of defeating the Alliance, on 10 October 1986, agreement was reached for coalition with FLP. In November 1986, when only Ratu Osea Gavidi of the WUF was endorsed as a candidate by the Coalition, which now also included the National Federation Party (NFP), WUF withdrew from the coalition. WUF fought the 1987 election in partnership with an NFP splinter group led by Sharda Nand, a supporter of Sidiq Koya
Sidiq Koya
Siddiq Moidin Koya was a Fijian Indian politician and Opposition leader. He succeeded to the leadership of the mostly Indo-Fijian National Federation Party on the death of the party's founder, A.D. Patel, in October 1969, remaining in this post until 1977...
. In the elections, WUF lost ground to both the Alliance and the Labour Party, with Gavidi receiving 41.7 percent of the vote and Nadalo only 13 percent.