I will remain FLP Leader - Chaudhry

Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry has confirmed to Fijivillage that he will remain as the Leader of the FLP although he cannot contest next month’s elections.

Chaudhry said while he knows that he cannot go for a parliamentary seat, he will lead the party to the September polls.

When asked by Fijivillage on whether he sees this as a wise move as he will lead the party with people knowing that he cannot go into parliament, Chaudhry said this is the strategy based on the assessment of what their supporters want.

We asked him on whether there is a standby parliamentary leader if they win the elections as Chaudhry cannot take up the position.

He said the decision will be made later.

Chaudhry first took part in a by-election for the North Central Indian Seat in December 1985.

He lost that election.

He was elected to Parliament for the first time in the 1987 general election and appointed Minister for Finance and Economic Planning in the coalition government of Timoci Bavadra.

That government held office for barely a month as Sitiveni Rabuka carried out a military coup in 1987.

Chaudhry then led the FLP into elections in 1992 and 1994.

In the 1999 election, Chaudhry led the FLP People’s Coalition to victory and became the Prime Minister.

He was then removed from office after the 2000 coup.

In 2001, he led the Fiji Labour Party again to the elections and lost to Laisenia Qarase’s former SDL Party.

In the 2006 elections, the Fiji Labour Party led by Chaudhry increased its share of votes to 39% and won four more seats to make a total of 31 but it was unable to unseat the Qarase Government.

Following the December 2006 coup, Chaudhry accepted the post of Minister of Finance in the interim government led by Voreqe Bainimarama in January 2007.

Chaudhry resigned from the post on 18th August, 2008.

He is now leading a political campaign as one of the strongest critics of the Bainimarama led government.

The three judges of the Fiji Court of Appeal said yesterday that Chaudhry’s eleven grounds of appeal have no merit. 

He was found guilty of three counts of breach of the Exchange Control Act.