517:, all 26 members of the National Federation Party sent a signed memo, that is signed by each of them to the then Governor General pledging their support for Koya. The governor General was concerned that Sakeasi Butadroka, the Fijian leader who destroyed Mara's majority by splitting 25% of the Fijian votes, would fulfil his promise made 7 April 1977 at the Old Suva Town Hall in his midday speech that if an Indian was elected Prime Minister Blood would flow. He pointed to his signature red tie. The Governor General who has asked the NFP to form government then changed his mind and appointed Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as the Prime minister. There was no internal strife as Koya and his Parliamentary Caucus spent Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday pleading to Ratu Mara to form a coalition government and to remain Prime Minister. This "strife among us" was not evident in those four days. Koya had been opposed in the election by
265:
384:. This brought Koya closer to the Kisan Sangh hierarchy, and on 10 February 1957 he was elected the Vice-President of the organisation. In 1958 he was re-elected to the post. Although Koya had initially been accepted with open arms by the Kisan Sangh, which lacked any legally qualified person in its leadership team, differences soon arose between Koya and
541:, who became the new leader of the NFP. It is also often rumored that Koya had been backstabbed by his own party members who formed the flower faction on the basis that they did not want a muslim as the Prime Minister. Koya's Dove faction had won only 3 seats compared to 12 won by the Flower faction.
492:
The first elections held after independence, in 1972, saw the NFP win 19 of the 52 seats in the House of
Representatives. Opposition to Koya from within the party grew and by 1976 the party was divided into two groups when some members of his party expressed support for the Agricultural Landlord and
484:, for independence for Fiji. There were those within his party who had opposed his leadership and with the unveiling of the new constitution the opposition from within gained strength. At this time in Fiji's history, Koya, the opposition leader, was seen as being too close to the Prime Minister.
250:
with parliamentary seats allocated among the different ethnic groups, elected from ethnic electoral rolls. Sidiq Koya was more willing to compromise than his predecessor, and he was instrumental in persuading his party and his people to accept independence with a communal franchise.
233:
Koya is credited with his role in paving the way for Fijian independence from
Britain in 1970. The National Federation Party had been opposing plans for independence without significant changes to the constitution. The NFP, in particular, wanted a legislature to be elected by
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Tenants Bill, which Koya and the NFP officially opposed. (Koya and his people did not oppose the changes but suggested the party abstain and thus defeat the bill, which required a 75% majority to help it to pass.) The differences were swept under the carpet for the
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held that year. After the resignation of Jai Ram Reddy, Koya returned to the leadership of the NFP in 1984. He was not far from controversy, and after being accused of favouring his own supporters, lost a crucial by-election in 1985. With the emergence of
431:. He formed close ties with A.D. Patel and rose to prominence as the sugar cane dispute continued. He also involved himself with other industrial disputes in Fiji in 1959 by defending union leaders involved in strikes.
388:, who saw Koya as a threat to his leadership. Ayodhya Prasad managed to get Koya ousted from the Kisan Sangh but paid a heavy price for this as Koya worked against Ayodhya Prasad to have him defeated in the 1959
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Following the death of A.D. Patel in 1969, Koya was elected the leader of the
National Federation Party. He adopted a conciliatory style of leadership and soon had an agreement with the leader of the
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343:. He only went to year six in primary school and never saw the doors of a high school. Being a son of a cane farmer he worked his way up and later worked for the law firm of
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of Ba by 3998 votes to 3480 votes, making him the first Muslim to be elected to the
Legislative Council. Koya was responsible for drafting the constitution of the
513:, calling on the defeated Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, to form a new government. As seen from Brij V Lal's book on the life of Jai Ram Reddy called
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to resolve the impasse was held in
September that year, resulting in a heavy defeat for the NFP after it had split into two factions known as the
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and Faizal. Koya has six grandchildren, Aleisha, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Zane, Akif and
Farhaan who now reside in Australia, Canada and
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230:, in October 1969, remaining in this post until 1977. He later served a second term as leader of the NFP, from 1984 to 1987.
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Koya also made contributions to religious and cultural organisations. He served as
President and Speaker of the
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In 1956, S.M. Koya went into partnership with N.S. Charmers, who was the legal advisor to the
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in Fiji. He easily retained his seat at the 1966 general election and the 1968 by-election.
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The NFP had re-united for the 1982 elections and Koya regained his seat in the
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The
Federation Committee contested the 1963 under the banner of the
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which came into existence on 21 June 1964, making it the first
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with the Fiji Labour Party, under the leadership of
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696:Leaders of the (Parliamentary) Opposition in Fiji
501:(NFP) to a narrow victory, and would have become
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219:. He succeeded to the leadership of the mostly
211:(29 February 1924 – 25 April 1993) was a
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411:origin in Fiji. Koya's family originated from
242:of all voters – a demand rejected by the main
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405:Then India Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji
399:Then India Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji
592:. The Stationery Office. 22 September 2006.
505:, but internal party strife resulted in the
423:Koya was one of the founding members of the
293:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
226:(NFP) on the death of the party's founder,
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407:, an organisation representing Muslims of
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313:Learn how and when to remove this message
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589:British documents on the end of empire
488:Split in the National Federation Party
870:National Federation Party politicians
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468:Party Leader and towards Independence
910:Fijian politicians of Indian descent
291:adding citations to reliable sources
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562:, when the NFP formed an electoral
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355:to obtain his law degree from the
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648:Leader of the Opposition of Fiji
627:Leader of the Opposition of Fiji
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850:Fijian people of Indian descent
429:Colonial Sugar Refining Company
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419:The Federation of Cane Growers
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890:University of Tasmania alumni
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435:Legislative Council Elections
41:Member of Legislative Council
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545:Return to Leadership of NFP
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246:politicians, who wanted a
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205:Siddiq Muhy'Ddin Kwaja,
895:Fijian trade unionists
357:University of Tasmania
371:Community involvement
255:Early life and family
240:common electoral roll
287:improve this section
207:officially known as
885:Fiji sugar industry
449:James Shankar Singh
441:Citizens Federation
390:Legislative Council
209:Siddiq Moidin Khoya
415:, in South India.
248:communal franchise
236:universal suffrage
22:Siddiq Moidin Koya
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127:Succeeded by
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74:Succeeded by
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855:1993 deaths
845:1924 births
819:Bainimarama
519:R. D. Patel
382:Kisan Sangh
376:Kisan Sangh
345:S. B. Patel
334:Indo-Fijian
327:Ba District
228:A. D. Patel
221:Indo-Fijian
185:Faiyaz Koya
115:Preceded by
839:Categories
814:Lalabalavu
651:1984–1987
630:1969–1977
622:A.D. Patel
574:References
191:Profession
120:A.D. Patel
824:Seruiratu
751:Kubuabola
564:coalition
303:June 2013
274:does not
109:1969–1977
105:In office
91:1982–1987
87:In office
68:1972–1977
64:In office
52:1963–1972
48:In office
780:Chaudhry
560:election
537:seat to
393:election
353:Tasmania
181:Children
152:Ba, Fiji
785:Beddoes
775:Beddoes
605:12 July
349:Lautoka
295:removed
280:sources
238:from a
163:Lautoka
809:Rabuka
790:vacant
756:vacant
732:vacant
722:Sharma
596:
531:Flower
413:Kerala
361:Faiyaz
341:Kerala
331:Muslim
213:Fijian
194:Lawyer
770:Singh
746:Reddy
712:Reddy
804:Kepa
798:2014
794:2006
764:2001
760:2000
740:1992
736:1987
727:Mara
717:Koya
707:Koya
607:2007
594:ISBN
529:and
527:Dove
480:Sir
478:Ratu
365:Fiji
278:any
276:cite
167:Fiji
157:Died
150:1924
147:Born
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289:by
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