Harish Sharma Explained

The Honorable Harish Sharma
House of Representatives (Fiji)
Nadi Indian Communal Constituency
Term Start:1972
Term End:1987
Title2:Leader of the Opposition
Term Start2:1986
Term End2:1987
Predecessor2:Sidiq Koya
Successor2:Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
Title3:Deputy Speaker of House of Representative
Term Start3:1977
Term End3:1982
Title4:Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Information
Primeminister4:Timoci Bavadra
Term Start4:April 1987
Term End4:May 1987
Title5:House of Representatives (Fiji)
Malomalo North/Nadi Rural Indian Communal Constituency
Term Start5:1994
Term End5:1999
Birth Date:3 May, 1932
Birth Place:Nausori, Fiji
Party:National Federation Party
Residence:Sydney, Australia
Spouse:Ambika Devi Sharma
Profession:Lawyer

Harish Chandra Sharma is a Fiji Indian politician who became the leader of the National Federation Party in 1987. He was also the leader of the organisation representing most of the Hindus in Fiji, the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji.

Early life

Sharma was born in Nausori, Fiji in 1932. He worked as a civil servant and as an insurance agent before departing for Tasmania in 1960, where he received the LL.B. from the University of Tasmania in 1964. On his return to Fiji he first worked for Sidiq Koya then for A. D. Patel, before setting up his own law firm in 1969. He was nominated to the Senate by the Leader of the Opposition in 1970 and remained a Senator until the 1972 general election.[1]

Political career

He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 as a candidate for the National Federation Party. He has contested a total of seven elections, without losing any. In 1987 he was chosen as the leader of the National Federation Party. He was instrumental in forming a coalition with the Fiji Labour Party with the coalition winning the 1987 elections. He was appointed the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Housing, Urban Affairs and Information in the month-long Government of Timoci Bavadra, which was deposed by Sitiveni Rabuka.

He re-entered Parliament in the 1994 general election, representing the Malomalo North/Nadi Rural Indian Constituency[2] and served as Deputy Leader of Opposition under Jai Ram Reddy until 1999. In 2007 he was made a life member of the Fiji Law Society.[3] At present he resides in Sydney, Australia.

References

  1. Book: Howard, Michael . Fiji: Race and politics in an island state . 1991 . UBC Press . Vancouver . 0-7748-0368-1 . 384 . registration .
  2. News: Fiji Times '94 General Election Scoreboard. . 28 February 1994.
  3. Web site: Fiji Law Society Annual Report . 2009-10-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090306130400/http://www.fls.org.fj/doc/Annual-Report.pdf . 2009-03-06 . dead .