Mahendra Sukhdeo

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Mahendra Sukhdeo (born 1941) was a Fiji Indian unionist and politician, who was one of the founding members of the Fiji Labour Party (FLP), but only a few months later resigned from the party due to disagreement with the leadership over the direction in which the party was being steered.

Sukhdeo was born in Nadi, Fiji. After completing his primary and secondary education in Fiji, he went to India and received the Bachelor of Education and Master of Arts in politics from Bombay University. On his return to Fiji, he was appointed a lecturer at the University of the South Pacific. Two years later, he took up employment with the Suva City Council and became the General Secretary of the National Union of Municipal Workers.[1]

After much discussion, within the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC), about forming a Labour Party, it was Sukhdeo, who at an executive committee meeting of the on 15 December 1984 moved a motion that Fiji Labour Party (FLP) be launched. [2] After the formation of the FLP, he outlined his vision for the platform of the new party as follows:

"a strong anti-corruption bill, tougher immigration laws, improvements for rural people, increased social welfare projects, an overhaul of all labour legislation, job creation programs, greater encouragenet of local production and import substitution, a non-aligned foreign policy,, and support for a nuclear free Pacific as well as for independence movements in New Caledonia and French Polynesia." [1]

He was elected a Vice-President of the Party and the Secretary of the Nasinu/Vunidawa branch. In 1985 he was elected to the Suva City Council.[1]

His relationship with the leadership of the Party soured after talks began with the National Federation Party (NFP) for the formation of a coalition to contest the 1987 election. He publicly opposed any idea of a coalition and defected to the Alliance Party. For the 1987 general election, the Alliance Party chose him as a candidate for the Nasinu/Vunidawa Indian Communal Constituency which the Party had no chance of winning.[1] During the campaign, he accused Krishna Datt (of the FLP) of asking the Russians for help.[2] The military coup a month after the election ended his political career.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Howard, Michael (1991). Fiji: Race and politics in an island state. Vancouver: UBC Press. ISBN 0-7748-0368-1. 
  2. ^ a b Robertson, Robert; Akosita Tamanisau (1988). Fiji - Shattered Coups. Canberra: Pluto Press Australia Limited. ISBN 0-949138-25-8.