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1966 Fijian general election
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| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| country | Fiji |
| type | parliamentary |
| previous_election | 1963 Fijian general election |
| previous_year | 1963 |
| election_date | 26 September–8 October 1966 |
| next_election | 1972 Fijian general election |
| next_year | 1972 |
| seats_for_election | All 36 seats in the Legislative Council |
| majority_seats | 18 |
| leader1 | Kamisese Mara |
| image1 | Kamisese Mara.jpg |
| party1 | Alliance Party (Fiji) |
| seats1 | **23** |
| popular_vote1 | **214,872** |
| percentage1 | **51.94%** |
| leader2 | A. D. Patel |
| image2 | 3x4.svg |
| party2 | Federation Party |
| seats2 | 9 |
| colour2 | 880000 |
| popular_vote2 | 113,310 |
| percentage2 | 27.39% |
| title | Chief Minister |
| after_election | Kamisese Mara |
| after_party | Alliance Party (Fiji) |
General elections were held in Fiji between 26 September and 8 October 1966, the last before independence in 1970 and the first held under universal suffrage. The result was a victory for the Alliance Party, which won 23 of the 34 elected seats. Its leader Kamisese Mara became the country's first Chief Minister the following year.
Background
A constitutional conference was held in London in 1965, which resulted in the Legislative Council being reorganised to consist of 36 seats; 14 for Fijians and other Pacific Islanders (two of which were nominated by the Great Council of Chiefs), 12 for Indo-Fijians and 10 for all other ethnic groups. The total number of registered voters was 156,683; 75,768 Indo-Fijians, 74,575 Fijians and 6,340 General electors.
Members of the Legislative Council were elected from two types of constituencies; communal and cross-voting, with voters being able to cast four votes each. Each voter cast a single vote in one of the 25 communal constituencies, in which they could only vote for a candidate of their own ethnicity. In the three three-seat cross-voting constituencies, voters voted for a candidate from each of the three ethnic groups.
Campaign
For the first time, the elections were a largely partisan event, dominated by the Fijian Alliance Party and the Indo-Fijian Federation Party.
Results
By constituency
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Notes | Fijian seats | General seats | Indo-Fijian seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cakaudrove | Jone Naisara | Alliance Party | 4,908 | Elected | ||||
| Anare M. Tuidraki | Independent | 949 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 314 | – | ||||||
| Lau–Rotuma | Jonati Mavoa | Alliance Party | Unopposed | Elected | ||||
| Lomaiviti/Kadavu | Solomone Momoivalu | Alliance Party | Unopposed | Elected | ||||
| Macuata/Bua | Emosi Vuakatagane | Alliance Party | 2,885 | Elected | ||||
| Militoni Vereaqali Leweniqila | Independent | 1,774 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 207 | – | ||||||
| North West Viti Levu | Sakeasi Waqanivavalagi | Alliance Party | 6,354 | Elected | ||||
| Isaia Vakabua | Independent | 1,670 | ||||||
| Jone Ravunakana | Independent | 1,268 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 191 | – | ||||||
| Rewa–Suva | Alipate Sikivou | Alliance Party | 4,427 | Elected | ||||
| Jone Cure Mataitini | Independent | 1,779 | ||||||
| Noa Niubalavu Nawalowalo | Independent | 1,268 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 158 | – | ||||||
| South Central Viti Levu | David Toganivalu | Alliance Party | 4,368 | Elected | ||||
| Penaia Lalabalavu Latianara | Independent | 981 | ||||||
| Meli Radelaiburelevu Loki | Independent | 873 | ||||||
| Ifereimi Nakaiwalu | Independent | 205 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 182 | – | ||||||
| South West Viti Levu | Peniame Naqasima | Alliance Party | 5,600 | Elected | ||||
| Apisai Tora | National Democratic Party | 2,632 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 133 | – | ||||||
| Tailevu | William Brown Toganivalu | Alliance Party | 3,347 | Elected | ||||
| Livai Volavola | Independent | 1,530 | ||||||
| Meli Saronicava Baleilakeba | Independent | 383 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 187 | – | ||||||
| Council of Chiefs nominees | George Cakobau | Elected | ||||||
| Losalini Raravuya Dovi | Elected | |||||||
| Eastern and Central | Wesley Barrett | Alliance Party | 816 | Elected | ||||
| Robert Spowart | Independent | 132 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 11 | – | ||||||
| Northern | Harold Brockett Gibson | Independent | 392 | Elected | ||||
| Fred Archibald | Independent | 292 | Unseated | |||||
| Hugh Thaggard | Independent | 151 | ||||||
| Lawrence Simpson | Independent | 73 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 33 | – | ||||||
| Suva | John Falvey | Alliance Party | 1,544 | Re-elected | ||||
| Charles Stinson | Independent | 1,384 | Elected | |||||
| William Yee | Alliance Party | 1,381 | Elected | |||||
| Margaret Bain | Alliance Party | 1,288 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 4 | – | ||||||
| West Viti Levu | Ronald Kermode | Alliance Party | Unopposed | Re-elected | ||||
| Robin Yarrow | Alliance Party | Unopposed | Elected | |||||
| North-East Vanua Levu | James Madhavan | Federation Party | 5,049 | 66.9 | Re-elected | |||
| Gaya Prasad | Independent | 2,494 | 33.1 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 320 | – | ||||||
| North-East Viti Levu | C. A. Shah | Federation Party | 3,799 | 58.2 | Re-elected | |||
| Vishnu Deo | Alliance Party | 1,955 | 30.0 | |||||
| V. P. Bajpai | Independent | 770 | 11.8 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 100 | – | ||||||
| North Eastern | Ram Jati Singh | Federation Party | 2,328 | 65.3 | Elected | |||
| Harish Chandra Kohli | Independent | 1,238 | 34.7 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 206 | – | ||||||
| North-West Viti Levu | R. D. Patel | Federation Party | 4,704 | Elected | ||||
| James Shankar Singh | Alliance Party | 4,421 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 104 | – | ||||||
| South-Central Viti Levu | M. T. Khan | Federation Party | 4,380 | Elected | ||||
| Ramanlal I. Kapadia | Independent | 1,650 | ||||||
| B.D. Moti | Independent | 67 | ||||||
| B. D. Lakshman | Independent | 24 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 150 | – | ||||||
| South-West Viti Levu | A. D. Patel | Federation Party | 7,601 | Re-elected | ||||
| Ayodhya Prasad | Alliance Party | 4,025 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 167 | – | ||||||
| Suva | Irene Jai Narayan | Federation Party | 5,676 | 67.1 | Elected | |||
| Andrew Deoki | Independent | 2,779 | 32.9 | Unseated | ||||
| Invalid votes | 108 | – | ||||||
| Tailevu-Rewa | K. C. Ramrakha | Federation Party | 3,220 | 71.5 | Elected | |||
| K. B. Singh | Independent | 677 | 15.1 | |||||
| Ram Lochan Regan | Independent | 604 | 13.4 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 105 | – | ||||||
| West Viti Levu Indian | Sidiq Koya | Federation Party | 6,318 | Re-elected | ||||
| Jaswant Singh | Independent | 2,221 | ||||||
| C. A. Patel | Independent | 19 | ||||||
| Invalid votes | 201 | – | ||||||
| Source: [Pacific Islands Monthly](https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-331795230/view?partId=nla.obj-331929900#page/n41/mode/1up) |
| Cross-voting seats | Constituency | Ethnic group | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Fijian | Edward Cakobau | Alliance Party | Unopposed | Re-elected | ||
| General | Douglas Walkden-Brown | Alliance Party | 21,208 | Elected | |||
| James Ah Koy | Independent | 5,604 | |||||
| David Whippy | Independent | 2,622 | |||||
| Trevor McNally | Independent | 976 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 11,518 | – | |||||
| Indo-Fijian | Abdul Lateef | Alliance Party | 15,498 | Elected | |||
| Madho Singh Tikaram | Federation Party | 13,487 | |||||
| C. P. Singh | Independent | 7,939 | Unseated | ||||
| Shiu Narayan Kanhai | Independent | 1,505 | |||||
| M. Columbus | Independent | 1,077 | |||||
| M. Azam | Independent | 987 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 1,584 | – | |||||
| Northern and Eastern | Fijian | Kamisese Mara | Alliance Party | 26,025 | Re-elected | ||
| Nemani Waka | Independent | 8,635 | |||||
| Informal | 885 | – | |||||
| General | Lindsay Verrier | Alliance Party | Unopposed | Elected | |||
| Indo-Fijian | Vijay R. Singh | Alliance Party | 26,634 | Elected | |||
| Vijay Singh | Federation Party | 8,068 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 808 | – | |||||
| Western | Fijian | Joshua Toganivalu | Alliance Party | 25,960 | Elected | ||
| Penaia Rokovuni | Federation Party | 23,171 | |||||
| Isikeli Nadalo | National Democratic Party | 4,242 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 2,085 | – | |||||
| General | Loloma Livingston | Alliance Party | 23,768 | Elected | |||
| Peter Davis | Independent | 22,677 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 8,882 | – | |||||
| Indo-Fijian | K. S. Reddy | Alliance Party | 28,200 | Elected | |||
| Deo Narayan | Federation Party | 25,509 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 1,729 | – | |||||
| Source: [Pacific Islands Monthly](https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-331795230/view?partId=nla.obj-331929900#page/n41/mode/1up) |
Aftermath
Following the elections, the two independents joined the Alliance Party. The Executive Council consisted of six elected members and four civil servants.
| 1966 Executive Council | Position | Member |
|---|---|---|
| Leader of Government Business | Kamisese Mara | |
| Natural Resources | ||
| Attorney General | Justin Lewis | |
| Acting Chief Secretary | Ian Thomson | |
| Commerce, Industry and Tourism | Edward Cakobau | |
| Communications and Works | Charles Stinson | |
| Financial Secretary | Harry Richie | |
| Secretary for Fijian Affairs and Local Government | Penaia Ganilau | |
| Social Services | Vijay R. Singh | |
| Undersecretary for Social Services | K. S. Reddy | |
| Without portfolio | John Falvey |
At the first meeting of the Legislative Council on 11 November, Ronald Kermode was elected Speaker unopposed, with James Madhavan elected Deputy Speaker.
Full ministerial government was introduced on 1 September 1967. On the same day, the Federation Party MLCs walked out of the Legislative Council. After they missed three meetings, the nine Indo-Fijian communal seats were declared vacant and a series of by-elections held in 1968.
| 1967 Cabinet | Position | Minister |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Minister | Kamisese Mara | |
| Minister for Commerce, Industry and Labour | Edward Cakobau | |
| Minister for Communications, Works and Tourism | Charles Stinson | |
| Minister for Fijian Affairs and Local Government | Penaia Ganilau | |
| Minister for Finance | Harry Richie | |
| Minister for Natural Resources | Douglas Walkden-Brown | |
| Minister without Portfolio | John Falvey | |
| Minister for Social Services | Vijay R. Singh | |
| Source: [Pacific Islands Monthly](https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-326774875/view?partId=nla.obj-326821342#page/n21/mode/1up) |
References
References
- [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-370541289/view?partId=nla.obj-370564855#page/n10/mode/1up Militant Indians active as Fiji goes to the polls] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', October 1966, p9
- [http://fijielections.blogspot.com/2017/02/1966-fiji-legislative-council-elections.html 1966 Fiji Legislative Council elections] Fiji Elections
- A total of 79 candidates contested the elections, three of which were women."79 At The Barriers For Fiji's Biggest Election", ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', September 1966, pp13–14
- [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-331795230/view?partId=nla.obj-331922278#page/n12/mode/1up Fiji's new government] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', November 1966, p11
- [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-331795483/view?partId=nla.obj-331935507#page/n10/mode/1up Fiji's New Opposition Gets Down To Business] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', December 1966, p9
- [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-326774875/view?partId=nla.obj-326821038#page/n20/mode/1up And in Fiji the phrase is, 'We won't co-operate'] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', September 1967, pp19–20
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