This accounted for dissident movements during this period and has had a flow on effect with the communal style electoral system, whereby separatism favoured the Fijians and prompted many campaigns from the Indians for a common role and a " one person one vote, one vote one value" voting system 6.
Fiji gained independence in 1970, with it, a new constitution and an electoral set up that favoured the Alliance Party (notably multicultural) which governed for 17 years. During the 1980's the Alliance seemed to have a stranglehold on power which according to Robertson and Tamanisau had looked after the the interests of Fiji's "ruling class". This comprised chiefs, wealthy Indians and Europeans who guaranteed "unwavering Fijian support" 7.However even before independence there was evidence in the 1966 and the 1968 by election, that the Indian National Federation Party could prove to be a force to challenge this stranglehold 8. The results of the 1977 elections saw the political system struggle against the " numerical superiority" of the Indians and to prevent an Indian prime minister the governor-general, Sir George Cakabau called another election 9. Tensions ran high and racial disharmony became more complex. New political parties sprang to life based on class rather than race, with good support from both Indian and Fijians whose interests had not previously been served well, those of the working .
class 10. The political and ethnic turmoil put the Indians in a second class situation even though they contributed to building the nation to what it is today 11.
1987 saw a coalition government between the National Federation Party ( representing the Indian Community) and the Labour Party of which their leader Timoci Bavadra became prime minister. This saw anti-Indian protesters take to the streets as they believed the Fijian prime minister was a pawn that would be manipulated by Indian politicians 12.
