Prem Singh (Fijian politician)

Prem Singh is an Indo-Fijian politician and a former member of the Fijian Parliament. He is a member of the National Federation Party (NFP).

The Honourable
Prem Singh
Leader of the Opposition
In office
October 2001 – September 2002
Prime MinisterLaisenia Qarase
Preceded byRatu Inoke Kubuabola
Succeeded byMick Beddoes
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for NFP List
In office
17 September 2014 – 14 November 2018
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for Nadi
In office
September 2001 – August 2002

Singh was educated in Fiji and at Wellington Polytechnic in New Zealand.[1] He served three terms on the Nadi town council, and was deputy mayor from 1999 to 2001.[2] He is a founding member of the Fiji Cane Growers Association.[2]

Singh contested the 2001 election for the NFP, winning the Nadi Open constituency and becoming the only member of his party to win a seat in the House of Representatives of Fiji. He was subsequently appointed Leader of the Opposition,[3] after Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry declined the office. In February 2002 he lost his seat after an election petition.[4] Singh appealed this decision to the Supreme Court which ruled that even though the ruling was incorrect, the Constitution did not allow for the appeal of a Court of Disputed Returns ruling.[5] He was replaced as Leader of the Opposition by Mick Beddoes.[6]

Singh was re-elected to Parliament in the 2014 election, winning 1125 votes.[7][3]

In September 2016 the High Court found that Singh had violated the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Decree 2013 by under declaring value of estate held in Nadi.[8] The finding was later upheld by the Court of Appeal, and referred to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption.[9]

Singh gained only 926 votes in the 2018 election and was not re-elected. He contested the 2022 election, winning 642 votes,[10] but again missed out on re-election.

References
  1. "Vote Prem Singh" (PDF). NFP. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  2. "People: Prem Singh of Nadi". National Federation Party. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  3. Aqela Susu (27 September 2014). "Singh Eyes Effective Opposition". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  4. Prasad v Singh, 2002 FJHC 8 (High Court of Fiji 2002-02-08).
  5. "Fiji prime minister wants by-election after Prem Singh's ousting". RNZ. 30 August 2002. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  6. "New opposition leader in Fiji". RNZ. 30 October 2002. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  7. "2014 Election Results". Fiji Elections Office. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  8. Jyoti Pratibha (9 September 2016). "COURT: MP Guilty Of Breaches". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  9. Jyoti Pratibha (6 October 2018). "Court battle reveals that National Federation Party Provisional Candidate Falsified the Value of His Late Father's Estate". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  10. "Prem Singh (336)". Fijian Elections Office. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
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