Laucala

Laucala (pronounced [lauˈðala]) is one of a triplet of small islands that lie to the east of Thurston Point on the island of Taveuni in Fiji. The privately owned islands are the site of the exclusive Laucala Resort.

The total land area of the main island is 12 square kilometers. It is 5 kilometers long with a maximum width of 3 kilometers, narrowing to 1.5 kilometers in some places. The other two islands in the group are Qamea several hundred meters to the west and Matagi.

Background

Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the Fijian monarch who unified the nation before ceding the islands to the United Kingdom in 1874, sold Laucala to European settlers. They established a copra plantation before turning it over to the Australia-based Carpenter Group.

In 1972, publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes bought the island. He upgraded the living accommodations of its inhabitants who worked on his estate. He also provided free primary education for the natives and paid up to half of a student's secondary and tertiary education expenses. He sought to diversify the island's economy away from its dependence on copra by promoting tourism and cattle and goat farming and fishing.

Laucala (Indian Communal Constituency, Fiji)

Laucala Indian Communal is a former electoral division of Fiji, one of 19 communal constituencies reserved for Indo-Fijians. Established by the 1997 Constitution, it came into being in 1999 and was used for the parliamentary elections of 1999, 2001, and 2006. (Of the remaining 52 seats, 27 were reserved for other ethnic communities and 25, called Open Constituencies, were elected by universal suffrage). The electorate covered northern suburbs of Suva, Fiji's capital.

The 2013 Constitution promulgated by the Military-backed interim government abolished all constituencies and established a form of proportional representation, with the entire country voting as a single electorate.

Election results

In the following tables, the primary vote refers to first-preference votes cast. The final vote refers to the final tally after votes for low-polling candidates have been progressively redistributed to other candidates according to pre-arranged electoral agreements (see electoral fusion), which may be customized by the voters (see instant run-off voting).

Laucala (Open Constituency, Fiji)

Laucala Open is a former electoral division of Fiji, one of 25 open constituencies that were elected by universal suffrage (the remaining 46 seats, called communal constituencies, were allocated by ethnicity). Established by the 1997 Constitution, it came into being in 1999 and was used for the parliamentary elections of 1999, 2001, and 2006. It was centred on a suburb of Suva.

The 2013 Constitution promulgated by the Military-backed interim government abolished all constituencies and established a form of proportional representation, with the entire country voting as a single electorate.

Election results

In the following tables, the primary vote refers to first-preference votes cast. The final vote refers to the final tally after votes for low-polling candidates have been progressively redistributed to other candidates according to pre-arranged electoral agreements (see electoral fusion), which may be customized by the voters (see instant run-off voting).