Harish Sharma

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.

The Honorable Harish Sharma
House of Representatives (Fiji)
Nadi Indian Communal Constituency
In office
1972–1987
Leader of Opposition (Fiji)
In office
1986–1987
Preceded bySidiq Koya
Succeeded byRatu Sir Kamisese Mara
Deputy Speaker of House of Representative
In office
1977–1982
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Information
In office
1987–1987
House of Representatives (Fiji)
Malomalo North/Nadi Rural Indian Communal Constituency
In office
1994–1999
Personal details
Born1932
Nausori, Fiji
Political partyNational Federation Party
Spouse(s)Ambika Devi Sharma
ResidenceSydney, Australia
ProfessionLawyer

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. Howard, Michael (1991). Fiji: Race and politics in an island state. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 384. ISBN 0-7748-0368-1.
  2. "Fiji Times '94 General Election Scoreboard". Fiji Times. 28 February 1994.
  3. "Fiji Law Society Annual Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
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