| Parliament name |
Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) (from/to) | 6 May 2006
13 May 2006 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all the seats in the House of Representatives following premature dissolution of this body on 27 March 2006. Elections to the House of Representatives had previously taken place from 25 August to 2 September 2001. |
Following a proclamation issued by acting President Mr. Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi on 2 March 2006, parliament was dissolved on 27 March ahead of elections scheduled for 6 - 13 May. The extended voting period was due to the increase in the number of polling stations (1,096 compared to 796 in the previous elections).
Indigenous Fijians (of Melanesian and Polynesian ancestry) make up about 51 per cent of the country's 905,000 inhabitants, while Fijians of Indian origin make up 44 per cent. In the 71-member House of Representatives, 25 seats are open to all communities, while the remaining 46 seats are reserved for the country's different ethnic groups.
The last elections in 2001 followed the May 2000 coup that ousted Mr. Mahendra Chaudhry, the first ethnic Indian Prime Minister in Fijian history. The predominantly indigenous Fijian United Party (SDL) won 31 seats, followed by the predominantly ethnic Indian Fiji Labour Party (FLP) with 27. The Conservative Alliance/Matanitu Vanua (MV), an indigenous nationalist party, took six. The remainder went to small parties and independent candidates. After the elections, the SDL formed a coalition government with the MV, and caretaker Prime Minister Mr. Laisenia Qarase was confirmed in his functions.
A total of 338 candidates, including 30 women, and 24 political parties registered for the 2006 elections. As before, the main contenders were the SDL and the FLP. The MV had been formally dissolved in February 2006 as a consequence of its implication in the 2000 coup. The FLP was led by the former Prime Minister, Mr. Chaudhry.
The main issue in the 2006 elections was the proposed Racial Tolerance and Unity Bill, which included provisions for an amnesty for persons involved in the 2000 coup. The government argued that the slow pace of investigations and court hearings related to the coup represented an obstacle to its efforts to promote national unity. It insisted the bill would strengthen stability and peace by bringing the coup episode to a close. However, the bill was severely criticized by the ethnic Indian community and intellectuals from various communities. The FLP leader, Mr. Chaudhry, vowed to reject the bill. The FLP called on voters' support for its economic policies, pledging to fight corruption while accusing the SDL of vote-buying.
Approximately 64 per cent of the 480,000 registered voters turned out at the polls.
Observers from the European Union (EU), the Commonwealth and the Pacific Island countries monitored the poll. The EU praised the Electoral Commission for its efforts to ensure transparency throughout the long election period and for providing the necessary information to parties and voters. It however noted a high percentage of invalid votes, as many as 10 per cent of the total. The Commonwealth underlined that the armed forces should not intervene in the political process in Fiji. It also recommended a shorter voting period and an increase in the number of seats open to all communities.
The final results gave a narrow majority to the ruling SDL, which won 36 of the 71 seats in the House of Representatives. Its rival, the FLP, took 31. The United Peoples Party (UPP) and independents took two seats each.
The newly-elected House of Representatives held its first session on 6 June 2006 and elected Mr. Pita Kewa Nacuva as its new Speaker.
The introduction of the Qoliqoli (native fishing grounds) Bill and the Indigenous Claims Tribunal Bill on 23 August 2006 triggered a political crisis in the country. The Commander of the Fijian Military Forces, Mr. Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, criticized the bills for unfairly favoring indigenous Fijians.
On 30 November, Mr. Bainimarama issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Qarase to abolish the contested bills and the Racial Tolerance and Unity Bill, and to remove ministers who were allegedly involved in events linked to the 2000 coup. Prime Minister Qarase agreed to suspend and review the bills, but refused to dismiss his cabinet members.
On 5 December 2006, Mr. Bainimarama announced that he had assumed executive powers in a military coup, the fourth since 1987. He dismissed Prime Minister Qarase, appointed Dr. Jona Baravilala Senilagakali as caretaker Prime Minister and dissolved parliament. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 (from/to) | 6 May 2006
13 May 2006 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
479'693
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Fijian United Party (SDL) |
80 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Fiji Labour Party (FLP) |
59 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United Peoples Party (UPP) |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
68 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Fijian United Party (SDL) |
36
|
|
|
|
|
| Fiji Labour Party (FLP) |
31
|
|
|
|
|
| United Peoples Party (UPP) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
63
8
11.27%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
The United General Party, an FLP ally which had taken one seat in the 2001 elections, changed its name to the United Peoples Party (UPP) in August 2003.
Source: http://www.elections.gov.fj/ |
|
A historical Archive of past election results for this chamber can be found on a separate page