March 1977 Fijian general election

March 1977 Fijian general election

19 March–2 April 1977
All 52 seats in the House of Representatives 26 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   NFP Leader Kamisese Mara Jai Ram Reddy Sakeasi Butadroka Party Alliance NFP Nationalist Last election 33 seats 15 seats – Seats won 24 26 1 Seat change 9 7 New Popular vote 338,523 332,764 39,238 Percentage 46.02% 45.23% 5.33% Swing 6.22pp 9.42pp New
Prime Minister before election Kamisese Mara Alliance Elected Prime Minister Kamisese Mara Alliance

General elections were held in Fiji between 19 March and 2 April 1977. As a result of a split in the ethnic Fijian vote, the ruling Alliance Party of Prime Minister Kamisese Mara suffered a narrow defeat. Although the Alliance Party received the most votes, it won only 24 seats, two fewer than the Indo-Fijian-dominated National Federation Party (NFP). One seat was won by the Fijian Nationalist Party, with the remaining seat going to an independent candidate, Osea Gavidi.

Although the NFP emerged as the largest party, Governor-General George Cakobau asked Mara to form a new government, claiming that he had the support of the majority of the House. The new government remained in office until early elections in September the same year.

Results

Around 25% of the Fijian vote went to the new Fijian Nationalist Party of Sakeasi Butadroka, an extremist organisation that ran on a "Fiji for the Fijians" platform and advocated the repatriation of Indo-Fijians to India.

Three ministers – Peniame Naqasima, Josua Toganivalu and Sakiasi Waqanivavalagi – lost their seats.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Alliance Party	338,523	46.02	24	–9
	National Federation Party	332,764	45.23	26	+7
	Fijian Nationalist Party	39,238	5.33	1	New
	Independents	25,142	3.42	1	+1
Total		735,667	100.00	52	0
Valid votes		735,667	93.91
Invalid/blank votes		47,690	6.09
Total ballots cast		190,291	–
Registered voters/turnout		280,784	67.77
Source: Nohlen et al.

Aftermath

Following the elections Mara resigned as Prime Minister on 5 April and turned down offers from the NFP to participate in a coalition government. It was expected that the NFP would be unable to form a government without a majority, but independent MP Osea Gavidi announced that he would support the party, giving it a two-seat majority. However, Gavidi changed his mind the following day.

Four days after the election, Sidiq Koya arrived at Government House expecting to be offered the opportunity to form a government. However, he was told by Governor-General Cakobau that he had reappointed Mara. Cakobau then made a statement claiming that Mara had the support of the majority of MPs. Pacific Islands Monthly reported that following an NFP meeting to discuss the allocation of cabinet portfolios (in which Koya only narrowly won a vote to remain leader of the party), opponents of Koya had passed a message to the Governor-General stating that they would not support him as Prime Minister. Supporters of Koya subsequently blamed a faction led by NFP president Irene Jai Narayan for keeping the party out of office.

In June Mara moved a motion of confidence in his government. The NFP proposed an amendment that the Governor-General should ignore any request from Mara to dissolve parliament if the motion was defeated, and instead appoint Koya as Prime Minister. House Leader Jonati Mavoa claimed that the Governor-General had no legal right to ignore such a request. The NFP amendment passed after Butadroka voted in favour. However, Cakobau dissolved parliament at the end of June, with fresh elections later scheduled for September.

See also

• List of members of the Parliament of Fiji (1977)