HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Mahendra Pal Chaudhry ( hif, महेन्द्र पाल चौधरी; born 9 February 1942) is a Fijian politician and the leader of the
Fiji Labour Party The Fiji Labour Party (FLP; fj, Ilawalawa Cakacaka ni Viti), also known as Fiji Labour, is a political party in Fiji. Most of its support is from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an in ...
. Following a historic election in which he defeated the long-time former leader,
Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, (; born 13 September 1948) is a Fijian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987. He was democratically elected as Prime Ministe ...
, the former trade union leader became Fiji's first
Indo-Fijian Indo-Fijians or Indian-Fijians (also known as Fiji Indians) are Fijian citizens of Indian descent, and include people who trace their ancestry to various regions of the Indian subcontinent.Girmit by Suresh Prasad Although Indo-Fijians constit ...
Prime Minister on 19 May 1999, but exactly one year later, on 19 May 2000 he and most of his
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
were taken hostage by coup leader
George Speight George Speight (born 1957) is a Fijian businessman and politician who was the leader of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, in which he and rebel soldiers from Fiji's Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit seized the Fijian Parliament and held Prime Minist ...
, in the Fiji coup of 2000. Unable to exercise his duties, he and his ministers were sacked by
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara on 27 May; Mara intended to assume emergency powers himself but was himself deposed by the military leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama. After 56 days in captivity, Chaudhry was released on 13 July and subsequently embarked on a tour of the world to rally support. He was one of the leading voices raised in opposition to the Qarase government's proposed Reconciliation and Unity Commission, which he said was just a mechanism to grant amnesty to persons guilty of coup-related offences. In January 2007, he was appointed as Minister of Finance, Sugar Reform Public Enterprise and National Planning in the interim Cabinet of Commodore Frank Bainimarama, following another coup. Chaudhry was also co-chair of the task force focusing on economic growth within the National Council for Building a Better Fiji. In August 2008, he left the government and became an outspoken critic of it.


Family background

Mahendra Chaudhry born in an
Indo-Fijian Indo-Fijians or Indian-Fijians (also known as Fiji Indians) are Fijian citizens of Indian descent, and include people who trace their ancestry to various regions of the Indian subcontinent.Girmit by Suresh Prasad Although Indo-Fijians constit ...
family of the Balhara clan in the town of Ba in Fiji. His paternal grandfather Ram Nath Chaudhry was from the village of
Bahu Jamalpur Bahu Jamalpur, also known as Chhoti Bahu, is a village in Rohtak District, Haryana, India. Former Prime Minister of Fiji Mahendra Chaudhry's ancestral village is Bahu Jamalpur with his grandfather, Ram Nath Chaudhry, emigrating from here to Fij ...
in
Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
, India (then the
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
) and arrived in the British Colony of Fiji in 1902, as an indentured labourer, to work on Fiji's
sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks ...
plantations. On his arrival in Fiji he disputed the agreement to work in the plantations and was employed as a store manager until he started his own business. He later returned to India with his wife, Ram Kalia, who died 22 September 1930 at the age of 45, and whom he had met and married in Fiji. His daughter, Raj Kumari also went to India with them. His sons Ram Gopal and Krishan Gopal Chaudhry remained in Fiji. Ram Gopal had fifteen children, one of them and the eldest son being Mahendra. Mahendra's maternal grandfather was from the Indian state of Kerala, and he has settled in Fiji in the early 1900s. In 2004, Chaudhry received the
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Overseas Indian Honour/Award) is the highest Indian award for Non-resident Indian and Overseas Citizen of India or an organisation or institution established and run by Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Orig ...
, which is granted to members of the Indian diaspora to honor their contributions to the countries of which they are members. Chaudhry was the first Fijian citizen to receive this award. On 20 November 2005, Chaudhry's youngest son Sachindra Chaudhry married Marian Ma'afu, a descendant of the Tongan-Fijian prince Enele Ma'afu who conquered the
Lau Islands The Lau Islands aka little Tonga (also called the Lau Group, the Eastern Group, the Eastern Archipelago) of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, just east of the Koro Sea. Of this chain of about sixty islands and islets, about thirty a ...
and
Taveuni Taveuni (pronounced ) is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, with a total land area of . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated to the east of ...
in the nineteenth century.


Political career


Cabinet member after 1987 election win

Chaudhry helped to launch the Fiji Labour Party in 1985. The Labour got its first chance to test its popularity in the by-election for the North Central Indian National Seat in December 1985, following the resignation of Vijay R. Singh. FLP decided to field Mahendra Chaudhry, who was also the general secretary of the National Farmers Union, as its candidate. Chaudhry lost the election by only 204 votes. He was elected to Parliament for the first time in the 1987 general election and appointed Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in the
coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
of
Timoci Bavadra Timoci Uluivuda Bavadra (22 September 1934 – 3 November 1989) was a Fijian medical doctor who founded the Fiji Labour Party and served as the Prime Minister of Fiji for one month in 1987. He was born in Viseisei, Viti Levu, and was medical do ...
. This government held office for barely a month; on 14 May, Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka deposed the government in the first of two military coups.


Leader of Labour Party from 1991

Chaudhry remained active in the Labour Party, and assumed leadership of the party in 1991 from Adi Kuini Bavadra, widow of Timoci Bavadra who had died in 1989. In 1990 a new constitution had been imposed on Fiji by presidential decree. This constitution discriminated against the Indian community in seats allocated to it in the House of Representatives, by not guaranteeing any seats in the Senate and by restricting Fiji Indians from holding prominent positions in the civil service. Both the NFP and FLP decided to boycott the elections scheduled for May 1992. At the last minute, the NFP decided to contest the election. Mahendra Chaudhry, then had no choice but to lead the FLP into the election. With little time to prepare for the campaign, the FLP managed to win only 13 of the 27 seats reserved for Indians. After the election, Chaudhry made the controversial decision to support Sitiveni Rabuka in Parliament, in exchange for a promise to review the 1990 Constitution, which Fiji Indians generally regarded as discriminating against them. Rabuka did not follow through on the deal, and Chaudhry and the Labour Party were punished at the
parliamentary election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
of 1994, losing 6 of their 13 seats. In the mid-1990s, after Rabuka finally did agree to a
constitutional A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princi ...
review, Chaudhry led campaign to change the electoral system from one based on ''" communal rolls"'' (with parliamentary seats reserved by ethnicity, elected by voters enrolled as members of particular ethnic groups), to one based on universal suffrage. Eventually, a compromise formula was agreed upon. Meanwhile, the Rabuka government was losing popularity. His admissions of womanizing, together with allegations of corruption in his administration, alienated him from powerful sections of the electorate. Chaudhry, meanwhile, forged the People's Coalition, an electoral alliance consisting of his Labour Party, and two other parties, both led by indigenous Fijians disaffected by Rabuka's administration. Another indigenous-led party, the Christian Democratic Alliance, joined the coalition later.


The 1999 election and the 2000 coup

The 1999 election resulted in a landslide win for the People's Coalition, with 58 of the 71 seats in the House of Representatives. The Labour Party won an absolute majority, 37 seats, in its own right. From the outset, voices both within the coalition and without attempted to persuade Chaudhry to forego the office of Prime Minister in favour of an ethnic Fijian, such as his deputy
Tupeni Baba Tupeni Lebaivalu Baba is a Fijian academic and politician, who founded the now-defunct New Labour Unity Party. Most members of this party later merged with several other centrist parties to form the Fiji Democratic Party (now part of the Nati ...
or Adi
Kuini Speed Adi Kuini Teimumu Vuikaba Speed (23 December 1949 – 31 December 2004) was a Fijian chief and politician, who served as Deputy Prime Minister in 1999 and 2000. She was the head girl at Adi Cakobau School in 1968, and went on to graduate from ...
(by now, the leader of the
Fijian Association Party The Fijian Association Party (FAP) is a former political party in Fiji. It played a significant role in Fijian politics throughout the 1990s, but lost all of its seats in the House of Representatives in the parliamentary election of 2001. The ...
, part of the People's Coalition), but he refused. President Mara reportedly persuaded indigenous Fijian members of the coalition to accept Chaudhry's leadership. Chaudhry was duly appointed Prime Minister on 19 May 1999. To shore up his support among the indigenous community, Chaudhry appointed indigenous Fijians to two-thirds of all ministerial positions. Few in Chaudhry's
caucus A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to a meeting ...
had had any previous political experience, a factor that created difficulties for his government. Some Fijian nationalists opposed his administration and stirred up fears in the mostly rural ethnic Fijian population that
land reform Land reform is a form of agrarian reform involving the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution, generally of agricultural ...
measures proposed by the Chaudhry government would expropriate their land (notwithstanding constitutional guarantees of indigenous control over five-sixths of the land, which could not be changed without the support of 9 of the 14 chiefly representatives in the Senate). Despite widespread fears of civil unrest, the takeover of the parliamentary complex by George Speight on 19 May 2000 (one year to the day since Chaudhry's appointment as Prime Minister) happened without warning. More details concerning the overthrow of the Chaudhry government may be found in
2000 Fijian coup d'état The Fiji coup d'état of 2000 was a civilian coup d'état by hardline i-Taukei (ethnic Fijian) nationalists against the elected government of an Indo-Fijian Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry on 19 May 2000. This was followed by an attempt ...
and the linked Timeline,
Mutinies Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among members ...
, and Aftermath.


The election of 2001 and aftermath

When democracy was restored in 2001, Chaudhry fought a hotly contested election, but was defeated by Laisenia Qarase of the
Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua The United Fiji Party ( fj, Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua, SDL) was a political party in Fiji. It was founded in 2001 by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase as a power base; it absorbed most of the Christian Democratic Alliance and other conser ...
(SDL). It is thought that attrition within the Labour Party was a factor in his defeat; high-profile party members like Tupeni Baba had split to form the New Labour Unity Party and he had barely survived a leadership challenge. Mutual enmity between his party and the
National Federation Party 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. Though it claimed to represent all Fiji Islanders, it was supported, in p ...
, the only other political party with significant Fiji-Indian support at that time, prevented a preference-swapping deal. In Fiji's system of transferable voting, such a deal would almost certainly have made him Prime Minister again. (Fiji's electoral laws, modelled at the time on those of Australia, allowed the votes of any two or more candidates in a particular constituency to be combined according to the candidates' preferences; voters could specify a different choice by ranking the candidates numerically in the order of their own preference). Chaudhry rebuilt the Labour Party, which won several key by-elections throughout 2004. He challenged in the courts the refusal of the Qarase government to include his party in the Cabinet; on 18 July 2003, the Supreme Court ruled in his favour, saying that the exclusion of a party with more than 8 seats in the House of Representatives violated the Constitution. Appeals, counter-appeals, and negotiations delayed the appointment of Labour Ministers to the Cabinet, however. The Supreme Court subsequently ruled in June 2004 that the Labour Party was entitled to 14 out of 30 cabinet posts. Qarase announced that he would implement the order, but his refusal to include Chaudhry himself in any cabinet lineup continued to stall negotiations on the composition of the cabinet. Late in 2004, Chaudhry announced that the Labour Party had decided to remain in opposition for the remainder of the parliamentary term, seeing no way to resolve the impasse without making unacceptable compromises. By remaining outside of the government, the Labour Party was able to distance itself from unpopular decisions made by the administration, and position itself to challenge the ruling SDL for power in 2006.


2006 general election

The Fiji Labour Party formed an electoral alliance with the Party of National Unity (PANU) and United Peoples Party (UPP) of Mick Beddoes to contest the 2006 general elections. The SDL Party of Prime Minister Qarase had joined a grand coalition of ethnic Fijian parties to unite the indigenous Fijian vote. During the election, the issue of race was again raised and this galvanised Fijian support behind Qarase. Although the FLP increased its share of votes to 39% and won four more seats to make a total of 31, it was unable to unseat the Qarase Government.


Internal dissent

Chaudhry was criticised by some prominent members of the FLP, including
Krishna Datt Krishna Datt, last name sometimes spelt as ''Dutt'', is a Fijian politician of Indian descent. Datt served as Principal of Suva Grammar School, where he participated in the national teachers' strikes in 1985, which launched his political career wi ...
and
Poseci Bune Poseci Waqalevu Bune (born 1945/1946) is a former Fijian civil servant, diplomat, politician and Cabinet Minister. He has served as chair of the Public Service Commissioner, secretary to the Prime Minister, and as Fiji's permanent representative ...
, for finalising his list of Senate nominees without consulting the Party. The Party threatened action against those members who spoke out publicly against Chuadhry. Chaudhry's decision that the Labour Party should join the multi-party cabinet (although Chaudhry himself did not join it), was a course for friction within the party. Prime Minister Qarase demanded that all cabinet members vote for the budget or face dismissal, but Chaudhry advised the Labour cabinet members to oppose it because of the increase in VAT tax. In the end four members voted against the budget while others were absent from Parliament.


Participation in interim government

Following the December 2006 coup that ousted Qarase, Chaudhry accepted the post of Minister of Finance in the interim government formed under Frank Bainimarama in January 2007. Chaudhry resigned as Minister of Finance on 18 August 2008, along with the Labour Party's two other ministers; Bainimarama took over Chaudhry's portfolio. According to Chaudhry, they did so voluntarily in preparation for the planned general election, although Bainimarama said that "there was a communication from me to haudhryabout him resigning", while dismissing the issue's importance. Prior to the resignation, there had already been widespread rumors that Bainimarama wanted to remove Chaudhry from the government."Fiji's military leader takes over country's finances"
, AFP, 18 August 2008.
Chaudhry defended his record as Finance Minister, saying that "the value of our dollar today would have been about 20 cents had we not taken the measures that we took." While stating that Chaudhry's resignation was a positive development, deposed Prime Minister Qarase was sharply critical of Chaudhry's performance as Finance Minister, saying that he "failed badly as Finance Minister and the economy has shown very little sign of progress. He's just running away from the mess he has created." Qarase also condemned Chaudhry's participation in what he described as "an illegal administration". Following the April 2009 constitutional crisis, Chaudhry spoke out to criticise the interim government, "def
ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 1992 ...
a press and political crackdown on dissent" in so doing. He described the abrogation of the Constitution as "tragic and unfortunate", and Commodore Bainimarama's leadership as "autocratic and dictatorial", adding that it was now "imperative" to set up multi-party talks – involving Qarase and other leaders – to prepare a speedy restoration of democracy. In October 2010 he was arrested for "meeting with sugar farmers in
Rakiraki Rakiraki () is a district in Fiji's Ra Province. It is located between Tavua and Korovou when travelling along the Kings Road, on the northern coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. At the 1996 census, the Rakiraki district had a population ...
", in breach of the government's "emergency regulations that ban public meetings". In reporting on the arrest, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
described Chaudhry as "one of the main opposition voices" to the Bainimarama government; '' The Australian'' subsequently called him one of Bainimarama's "two most effective critics" within Fiji, along with '' Fiji Times'' editor-in-chief Netani Rika.


Elections in 2014

The interim government did not permit Chaudhry to be a candidate in the
2014 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2014. * 2014 United Nations Security Council election 16 October 2014 Africa * 2014 Algerian presidential election 17 April 2014 * 2014 Botswana general election 24 October 2014 * 2014 Comorian presi ...
, the first since the 2006 coup, although he was still the Fiji Labour Party leader. The results gave the party only 2.4 percent of the vote, and no parliamentary seats, while interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama's Fiji First Party took 59.2 percent of the vote and 32 of the 50 seats. Chaudhry joined the leaders of other opposition parties in alleging electoral fraud.


Retirement

On 3 July 2015, Chaudhry was quoted by
Radio New Zealand Radio New Zealand ( mi, Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa), commonly known as Radio NZ or simply RNZ, is a New Zealand public-service radio broadcaster and Crown entity that was established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news and cu ...
as announcing his retirement from the leadership of the FLP, having served in that capacity for 23 years. The next day, however, he denied having made such a statement. On 26 July 2021 he was taken in for questioning by Fijian police over comments he had made about a proposed government land bill.


Chaudhry's views and policies

Chaudhry is known for his combative style of leadership, which has won him both admirers and enemies.


Relationship with NFP

He remained at loggerheads with the National Federation Party, whose support dropped sharply in 1999, 2001 and 2006 elections, but continued to do well in local government elections. Although it would have been to his advantage to reach a deal on an exchange of preferences with the NFP, competition for support from Indian voters, particularly in the sugar cane growing areas, where FLP and NFP endorsed rival unions, prevented this.


Attracting ethnic Fijian vote

He failed to make significant inroads into the ethnic Fijian electorate, less than ten percent of whom voted for his party in 2001 or 2006. He was successful, however, in attracting several high-profile ethnic Fijians, such as
Poseci Bune Poseci Waqalevu Bune (born 1945/1946) is a former Fijian civil servant, diplomat, politician and Cabinet Minister. He has served as chair of the Public Service Commissioner, secretary to the Prime Minister, and as Fiji's permanent representative ...
, to his party.


Brain drain

Chaudhry expressed alarm at the high rate of emigration from Fiji, especially of Fiji-Indians, and also of educated indigenous Fijians. ''"If the trend continues, Fiji will be left with a large pool of poorly educated, unskilled work force with disastrous consequences on our social and economic infrastructure and levels of investment,"'' he said in a statement on 19 June 2005. He blamed the coups of 1987 for "brain drain" which had, he said, had adversely affected the sugar industry, the standard of the education and health services, and the efficiency of the civil service. This was creating a vacuum that would lead to increased levels of crime, drug abuse, and money laundering, he considered. He lamented the ''"indications of a growing feeling of insecurity, frustration and disaffection among people of all races at the direction in which Fiji appears to be headed,"'' and said that only way to reverse the trend was to elect a government that would provide stability, raise living standards, and create a climate of confidence for investors and opportunities for job seekers.


Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill

From May–June 2005, Chaudhry was at the forefront of a campaign against the government's controversial Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, which proposes to establish a Commission with the power, subject to presidential approval, to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the 2000 coup. Speaking on 20 May, he said that a ''"culture of coups"'' had developed in Fiji and that it needed to be eradicated. Pardoning persons involved in the earlier coups of 1987 had been a serious mistake, he believed.


Bringing Fijians into the mainstream

Chaudhry also spoke in favour of bringing more ethnic Fijians into the economic mainstream. He attacked what he called the "divide and rule" policies of Fiji's former
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
colonial rulers, saying that indigenous Fijians had been isolated from other communities and marginalized economically. This colonial legacy had remained the status quo in society, even since independence in 1970, he maintained. ''"The status quo is not good for the ordinary Fijians. It is good for the elites in society but not for the ordinary Fijians,"'' Chaudhry said. Positive discrimination programs would not achieve much without a dismantling of the traditional communal mindset, he said. He called for a more individualistic approach to society, based on incentives and appropriate training. He did not believe that modernization would threaten the communal structure of Fijian society. ''"No you can still fulfil your traditional obligations but the contradiction in the system between the communal approach and the free market approach needs to be addressed,"'' he said. He also insisted that culture could not be allowed to be stagnant.


Universal Declaration on Human Rights

He condemned Prime Minister Qarase for speaking against the
Universal Declaration on Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, i ...
. Qarase had told a meeting of the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights. In 1989 the patron of the CPA was the Head of ...
in Nadi the day before that western-style democracy was an alien concept in Fiji, and that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was not compatible with Fiji's hierarchical order. Chaudhry countered by saying that Qarase was like a proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. ''"The rule of law must apply equally to everyone, irrespective of status in society or class divisions it is this equal application that is the bulwark of modern democracies,"'' he said.


Calls for electoral reform

Chaudhry periodically called for Fiji's electoral system to be reformed. He said on 20 November 2005 that communal voting, which reserved almost two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives for persons registered on ethnic electoral rolls, tended to polarize the nation and gave foundation to politicians with what he called extreme views. He said that any move to change this provision in the Constitution would be supported by the Opposition.


Gay rights

Chaudhry said on 18 October 2005 that he and the FLP would not support Prime Minister Qarase's attempts to close constitutional loopholes that undermine Fiji's anti-gay laws. Chaudhry said that gays rights were guaranteed by the constitution and must be upheld; the Prime Minister, who needed a two-thirds majority in Parliament to change the constitution, was just wasting his time trying to gain FLP support for the measure, he said.


Pro-business policies

Chaudhry also protested strongly against Qarase's claims, made at the annual conference of Fiji Employers Federation on 2 September, that the Labour Party was unsympathetic to business and held "a classic left-wing suspicion of ... the profit motive." Chaudhry countered that his party was in fact pro-business and had enacted a number of policies aimed at stimulating economic growth when it was in power. "It was the FLP that was committed to reducing the cost of doing business and started by lowering the cost of utilities, and requested the commercial banks and lending organizations to reduce their fees, charges and interest rates ... that saw the economy record an unprecedented growth of 9.6% in 1999," Chaudhry declared. He said that in the five years of Qarase's leadership, public debt had doubled to F$2.3 billion, that basic infrastructure had deteriorated, and that the economy was on the brink of collapse.


Controversies

Chaudhry has been involved in a number of controversial circumstances over the years, ranging from a manslaughter conviction in 1978 to allegations of misuse of funds as recently as 2005.


Manslaughter conviction

In 1978, Chaudhry was convicted of
manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th c ...
br>for his involvement in a fatal automobile accident
He was sentenced to nine months's imprisonment for failing to stop after the accident. After serving only three days of the sentence, however, he was released on a Compulsory Supervision Order (i.e., parole). Prime Minister Qarase drew media attention to Chaudhry's manslaughter conviction and his almost immediate release, in response to Chaudhry's criticism of government decisions to show leniency towards persons convicted of involvement in the 2000 coup, including former Vice-President ''Ratu'' Jope Seniloli and Cabinet Minister ''Ratu'' Naiqama Lalabalavu. Qarase accused Chaudhry and his supporters of "living in glasshouses." Chaudhry pointed out that there was no comparison between a premeditated act of treason and a mere traffic offence for which he had not been sent to jail (the prison sentence was not for causing death, but for failing to stop).


Hate speech allegations

The Fiji Times reported on 4 September 2005 that Chaudhry and his principal opponent, Prime Minister Qarase, had traded mutual accusations of using hate speech to win political support.


Fundraising allegations

On 8 December 2005, Chaudhry announced his decision to sue Prime Minister Qarase and
Fiji Television Fiji Television Limited is one of Fiji's main television network. It was founded on 15 June 1994 as the first permanent commercial television broadcasting network in the country, although television had previously been introduced temporarily ...
for defamation. Addressing the House of Representatives on 23 November 2005, Prime Minister Qarase alleged that Chaudhry had had money raised for him in the Indian state of Haryana, and called on Chaudhry to reveal what had happened to the money since. On 2 December, he told Parliament that he was aware that money had been raised in his name in Haryana, but denied having authorized the appeal or receiving any of its proceeds. He had raised the issue with then Chief Minister of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala, he said, after being hounded by the media in both Fiji and India. He claimed to have discovered only during his 2005 visit to India that Chautala's record with money is not transparent. ''"My anger about the whole episode is that Shri Chautala should exploit the feelings of the ordinary and poor folks of Haryana who are emotionally tied to me and to the people of Indian origin in Fiji and play on them a game of deceit for self enrichment,"'' Chaudhry said. On 30 November, the Government of Haryana state ordered an investigation into the allegations. This followed reports in the Indian media that an Indian political party, the
Indian National Lok Dal Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is a political party in India, in the state of Haryana. INLD was founded in October 1996 as Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) by Choudhary Devi Lal, who served as Deputy Prime Minister of India in the V.P. Singh's Cab ...
(INLD), had raised over a million
crore A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is ...
(F$376,557) for Chaudhry in 2001, who was then visiting India to raise support following his overthrow in the 2000 coup. According to ''Webindia'', however, the money had not been delivered to him, because of currency regulations, and was instead deposited in the Oriental Bank of Commerce account of the ''Indo-Fiji Friendship Society''. INLD Secretary General
Ajay Singh Chautala Ajay Singh Chautala (born 13 March 1961) is a former Indian MP and sports administrator. He is elder son of former Chief Minister of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala and father of current Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana Dushyant Chautala. Biogra ...
, whose father Om Prakash Chautala was Chief Minister of Haryana at the time, welcomed the probe. The Haryana authorities were not mollified by his comments, and on 20 December ''Ranbir Singh Surjewala'', the Haryana State Transport and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, called for the passports of Chautala and his two sons to be seized to prevent them from leaving the country. It was announced on 7 December 2005 that India's Bureau of Investigation had cleared Chaudhry of the allegations.


Sugar industry commission allegations

In another twist, Qarase had also declared on 25 November that he had unspecified "evidence", which he claimed to have received from India, that a senior member of the FLP had attempted to get commissions from Indian companies that had applied for contracts with respect to the reform of Fiji's sugar industry. He warned Chaudhry that he did not make unfounded allegations, and that he would use the evidence ''"when the time comes."'' He later repeated the allegations outside of Parliament. Reacting angrily to the charges, Chaudhry threatened on 4 December to sue Qarase if he failed to apologize for or substantiate his claims. ''"It is the Prime Minister's duty to provide the evidence. These are serious allegations that have cast a slur on my integrity and reputation,"'' he said. The following day, his son and lawyer, Rajendra Chaudhry, wrote to the Prime Minister giving him three days to apologize or else face a lawsuit. On 7 December, Qarase refused the ultimatum. ''"I don't apologize for nothing,"'' the Fiji Times reported him as saying. When the three-day deadline set by Chaudhry expired, he announced on 8 December that he would be suing Qarase as an individual, not as Prime Minister, meaning that Qarase would be unable to use state funds to fight his case. The writ, which named Qarase the first defendant, also named Fiji Television as the second defendant. ''"Qarase had been reluctant to furnish evidence to substantiate his claims ... The imputations are very serious and a direct question on my integrity and leadership. As such I have had the resort to legal action,"'' Chaudhry declared. At the scheduled press conference on 9 December, the Prime Minister revealed a confidential letter from Mahendra Chaudhry, written on National Farmers Union (NFU) letterhead in his capacity as General Secretary of the Union, to Charles Walker, chairman of the
Fiji Sugar Corporation Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) is the government-owned sugar milling company in Fiji having monopoly on production of raw sugar in Fiji. It is also the largest public enterprise in the country employing nearly 3,000 people, while another 200,000 or ...
(FSC), in September 2003. The letter proposed that the NFU purchase shares in the FSC, and stated that he, Senator Anand Singh, and United Consultancy of
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about It ...
, New Zealand, were in talks with "an India-based milling company" to restructure the FSC. According to the Prime Minister, the deal would have transferred shares, that the government was considering selling, not to cane farmers but to their trade union representatives. ''"The benefit was only to the NFU,"'' Qarase said. Qarase called for an
audit An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size or legal form when such an examination is conducted with a view to express an opinion thereon.” Auditing ...
of the office of the Leader of the Opposition, saying that it would prove his connections to the Indian company. Equipment in Chaudhry's office had been used to communicate with the company since 2002, he alleged. Chaudhry derided the revelations as "laughable," and said that they showed no connection whatsoever between himself and India's Exim Bank, or with the Indian government loan. ''"It was clear that having made wild baseless allegations, the PM was clutching at straws to try and validate his claims,"'' Chaudhry said. ''"There is absolutely no connection between the loan and a letter that I wrote to PM's steering committee Charles Walker as chairman on sugar industry reforms that Qarase released to the media as his 'proof' that I had received a commission from the loan,"'' he added. Nor did it substantiate, he said, Qarase's claims that he had sought a commission from the Indian companies. Also on 9 December, FLP Senator and former
Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Anand Singh announced his decision to sue the Indian government and the Head of the Indian Technical Mission, J.J. Bhagat, for compensation for providing the ideas, which he says were adopted without acknowledgement by the Fijian and Indian governments. Prime Minister Qarase had earlier alleged on 5 December that Chaudhry had been a party to the negotiations, and called on the FLP to reveal whether it was involved with Singh's compensation claim. On 14 December, High Court Justice
Anthony Gates Anthony Harold Cumberland Thomas Gates was the chief justice of Fiji from 2008 to 2019. Justice Gates is best known for his decision in ''Chandrika Prasad v. Att-Gen of Fiji'' 0002 FLR 89; ''Prasad v. Republic of Fiji & Another'' 0011 LRC 665; ...
dismissed a call from Chaudhry to impose a gag order on Prime Minister Qarase, from making media statements until Chaudhry's lawsuit is heard. Whether the Prime Minister's statements were defamatory was an issue that would have to be resolved in the trial itself, Gates ruled; in the meantime, the court would not interfere with constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech. Chaudhry was ordered to pay F$750 to Qarase and Fiji Television Limited to cover court costs. 9 January 2006 has been set for the hearing of the defamation suit. Chaudhry had failed, Gates said, to provide "credible evidence" that Qarase's words were untruthful, and therefore there was no grounds to prohibit their publication. On 9 January 2006, Gates announced that he was withdrawing from the case against the Prime Minister and against Fiji Television. He was fully booked judging criminal cases, and had no time to devote to civil suits, he said. Chaudhry released correspondence on 20 January 2006, citing it as proof that neither he nor his party had tried to collect a commission on Indian loans granted for sugar industry reform. The letter, from the Indian High Commission to Fiji, said that the Exim Bank had confirmed that there was no attempt to secure a commission on the loan, and that the bank never pays commissions on loans. In reply, the Prime Minister said that a number of unanswered questions remained, which would be addressed when the case was heard in court. Chaudhry announced on 27 February that as of 16 January, he had withdrawn his case against Fiji Television, but not against the Prime Minister.


Lawsuit against Daily Post

On 5 December 2005, lawyer Rajendra Chaudhry filed a writ against the Daily Post, on behalf of his father, Fiji Labour Party (FLP) leader Mahendra Chaudhry. The writ against the government-owned newspaper, whose editor Mesake Koroi is a cousin of Prime Minister Qarase's, concerns what Chaudhry claims are "untrue and malicious" allegations, suggesting a leadership struggle within the FLP. The article in question also claimed that the FLP was no longer the party founded by Timoci Bavadra, Tupeni Baba, and Adi Kuini Speed, but had turned into a hard-line Indian nationalist party.


Abuse of privilege investigation

It was revealed on 23 December 2005 that
Auditor-General A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...
Eroni Vatuloka was investigating a complaint from Prime Minister Qarase, accusing Chaudhry of
abuse of office Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...
. The Prime Minister alleges that Chaudhry has allowed Senator Anand Singh to use office equipment for commercial purposes. Chaudhry has dismissed the Prime Minister's complaint as "frivolous" and "childish." Fiji Television revealed on 31 January 2006 that the National Farmers Union had put the parliamentary telephone number on a letter faxed to a business client, and that the letter was signed by Shareen Prasad, an employee at the FLP parliamentary office. Chaudhry again refused to comment on the claims, saying they were "trivial." Pramod Rae, General Secretary of the National Federation Party (NFP), the chief rival of the FLP for the Indo-Fijian vote, called for a thorough investigation into the allegations.


Support for Sun Myung Moon

Chaudhry was registered as an advisor to the Inter-Religious Federation For World Peace International, an organization affiliated with the Unification Church. The Fijian government abruptly revoked permission for Sun Myung Moon, the group's 85-year-old founder, to visit Fiji, where he was to be the keynote speaker at a conference in Nadi. Dr.
Lesi Korovavala Dr. Lesi Korovavala is a former Fijian civil servant, who served as the chief executive officer of the Ministry for Home Affairs. He is a former senior Military officer with a doctorate in military studies, he reached the rank of lieutenant col ...
, Chief Executive Officer of the Immigration Department described Moon's doctrines as "misleading, repugnant and divisive," said that his visit would not be conducive to "peace, good order, public safety and public morality," and concluded that he was "not a fit and proper person to enter the country." Chaudhry slammed the government decision, saying that it was treating Moon like a terrorist or a criminal. ''"Rev Dr. Moon is not a criminal or a terrorist to be treated in this manner,"'' Chaudhry said. ''"He is a man dedicated to a mission of peace through the promotion of moral and spiritual values. He has founded an organisation that believes in the inculcation of moral and family values to bring about better global understanding and harmony."'' Chaudhry was joined by Senate
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Taito Waqavakatoga, registered as a coordinator of the group, who said that Moon would have made a positive contribution to Fiji.


Tax Allegations

Chaudhry was cleared of any taxation breaches after the Inquiry team brought from Australia studied the evidence and documents provided by the FIRCA, stating that Mr Chaudhry had not breached any taxation laws. The tax assessment by FIRCA with respect to Mr Chaudhry between 2000 and 2006 was carried out in accordance with the Tax Act and other relevant tax laws in Fiji. The inquiry team was headed by Bruce Cowley a partner in the law firm
Minter Ellison MinterEllison is a multinational law firm, and professional services firm, based in Australia. The firm has fifteen offices and operates in five countries. By number of lawyers it is the largest law firm in Australia. History MinterEllison is ...
in
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the Sou ...
, Russel Postle a partner in the accounting firm of BDO Kendalls, also in Brisbane, and former deputy PM,
Taufa Vakatale Mereia Taufa Vakatale, O.F. (born 1938) is a Fijian former politician and educator. She served in the Cabinet of Fiji under the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT) during 1993–1995 and 1997–1999. In 1997, she became Fiji's first female Depu ...
.It was personalised: Interim A-G – Fiji Times Online
/ref>


See also

* Church involvement in Fiji coups


Elections contested


Awards

*
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Overseas Indian Honour/Award) is the highest Indian award for Non-resident Indian and Overseas Citizen of India or an organisation or institution established and run by Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Orig ...
, 2004


References


External links


Frontline:Concern in Haryana
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaudhry, Mahendra 1942 births Living people Prime Ministers of Fiji Finance Ministers of Fiji Leaders ousted by a coup Fijian Hindus Fiji Labour Party politicians Fijian trade unionists Fiji sugar industry Fijian politicians of Indian descent Fijian people convicted of manslaughter Heads of government who were later imprisoned Politicians from Ba (town) Leaders of the Opposition (Fiji) Recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman