1972 Fijian general election

1972 Fijian general election

← 1966 15–29 April 1972 1977 →
All 52 seats in the House of Representatives 26 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   NFP Leader Kamisese Mara Sidiq Koya Party Alliance NFP Last election 23 seats 9 seats Seats won 33 19 Seat change 10 10 Popular vote 388,550 241,866 Percentage 57.52% 35.81% Swing 5.58pp 6.76pp
Prime Minister before election Kamisese Mara Alliance Subsequent Prime Minister Kamisese Mara Alliance

Politics of Fiji
Constitution History
Executive President (list) Wiliame Katonivere Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka Cabinet Attorney-General Siromi Turaga Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu
Legislative Parliament Speaker: Naiqama Lalabalavu
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice: Kamal Kumar Court of Appeal High Court
Elections Electoral system Voting Political parties Post-independence elections 1972 Mar 1977 Sep 1977 1982 1987 1992 1994 1999 2001 2006 2014 2018 2022 Next
Local government Recent local elections 2002 2005
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister: Sitiveni Rabuka Diplomatic missions of / in Fiji Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Former and informal Monarchy Governor Governor-General Chief Minister Executive Council House of Representatives Constituencies Open Communal National Legislative Council Great Council of Chiefs Chairman Senate Vice-President
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General elections were held in Fiji between 15 and 29 April 1972,^[1] the first since independence from the United Kingdom in 1970. They were characterised by the lack of rancour between racial groups, typical of the 1966 general election and the 1968 by-elections.

The result was a landslide for the Alliance Party of the Prime Minister, Kamisese Mara, which won 33 of the 52 seats, and surprised many observers by capturing almost 25 percent of the Indo-Fijian vote. The Indo-Fijian-dominated National Federation Party led by Sidiq Koya won the remaining 19 seats. The election re-affirmed the political allegiances of the past, with the Alliance Party winning all the Fijian Communal seats with 82% of the vote, as well as all the General Communal seats. The National Federation Party (NFP) won all the Indian Communal sets with 73% of the vote. Voter turnout was 85.2% in the communal seats.