Apisai Tora

Mohammad Apisai Vuniyayawa Tora (born January 1934) is a former Fijian politician, soldier, and trade unionist. As a labour leader, he was a fighter for dock workers. As a soldier, he served in Malaya and later served as President of the Ex-Servicemen's League.

Tora held a variety of political positions, the last being as a Senator from 2001 to 2006. A convert to Islam, he represents a small minority (numbered in the hundreds) in both the indigenous Fijian and Muslim communities, the great majority of Muslims being Indo-Fijian. On 27 September 2005, he was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment for offenses related to the Fiji coup of 2000.

Tora has a reputation in Fiji for being something of a chameleon, having championed both Fijian ethnic nationalism and multiculturalism at different times. After returning from military service in Malaya, Tora was president of the North West Branch of the Wholesale and Retail General Workers' Union. With General Secretary James Anthony, Tora led a militant strike of Oil Workers in 1959 that drew on both Fijian and Indo-Fijians for support - but was opposed by the Fijian chiefs. In 1963 Tora stood for the Western seat in the Fijian elections, but lost to Ratu Penaia Ganilau. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1972 as a member of the National Federation Party. In 1977 when he lost his seat, he joined the Alliance Party. Following the defeat of the Alliance in the parliamentary election of 1987, he became a leader of the Taukei Movement opposed to the new government of Timoci Bavadra, which was dominated by Indo-Fijians. In December that year, he joined the interim government formed by Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, but was dismissed in 1991 for refusing, he claimed, to join the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei Party (SVT) that had recently been founded by Mara's wife, Ro Lady Lala Mara. There has been no independent confirmation of Tora's version of why he was removed, however.

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