Formation of Federation Party
The formation of the Federation Party was a direct consequence of the dispute between cane farmers and the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR) in 1960 regarding the new cane contract. In May 1959, all growers' unions decided to work together by forming the Federation of Cane Growers but on 24 July 1960, Ayodhya Prasad of Kisan Sangh and Vijay R. Singh of Labasa Kisan Sangh, broke away and signed an agreement with CSR for the purchase of the 1960 crop. Tensions rose as Patel’s opponents, B.D. Lakshman and Vijay R. Singh, accused him of again dividing the Indians and leading them further into debt and some Fijians, including Ratu Kamisese Mara, made calls to have A.D. Patel deported. The Government appointed a commission of inquiry, headed by Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve, into the sugar industry. The Federation Committee was represented by A.D. Patel, assisted by S.M. Koya. The finding of the commission was mostly against the demands of A.D. Patel.
The Federation Committee contested the 1963 Legislative Council election under the banner of Citizens Federation. It was not a properly constituted political party but sought to promote economic, cultural and political progress and stability in a united Fiji. All three Citizen’s Federation candidates were elected to the Legislative Council. In the Western Constituency, A.D. Patel defeated Deo Sharma, president of the Kisan Sangh by 6244 votes to 3346, in the North Viti Levu Constituency, Sidiq Koya defeated James Shankar Singh by 3,998 votes to 3,480 and in the Northern Constituency James Madhavan defeated Harish Chandra Kohli by 2,753 votes to 2,175. There was no Citizens Federation candidate in the Southern Constituency, won by Andrew Deoki.
The success of the Citizens Federation in the 1963 elections, and the impeding constitutional convention, prompted Patel to transform the Citizens Federation into a fully fledged political party. The Federation Party came into existence on 21 June 1964, with A.D. Patel as President and S.M. Koya as Vice-president.
Read more about this topic: National Federation Party (Fiji)
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