Western United Front (Fiji)

Western United Front (WUF) was an ethnically Fijian political party formed prior to the 1982 elections and contested the election in coalition with the National Federation Party (NFP-WUF Coalition).

Its support was concentrated in the Western Division, mainly in the provinces of Nadroga and Ba. Its formation was due to disenchantment of western Fijians about not receiving fair return from the Native Land Trust Board (NLTB) from the income derived from their land. Fiji's foreign exchange earnings are mainly generated from sugar, tourism, pine and gold, produced in the western division. It was claimed that western landowners, despite providing 65% of the money that financed the NLTB, received only 9%. The Party was launched on 17 July 1981 with the following goals:

As the WUF had a narrow base and a regional focus it formed a coalition with NFP on 11 January 1982, because it regarded the NFP as "the most prominent political party opposed to the Alliance". Each party was to maintain its independent identity and objectives. Jai Ram Reddy, the leader of the NFP regarded the coalition as a partnership of equals.

The leader of the party was Ratu Osea Gavidi, a Nadroga chief, who had had a long-standing dispute with NLTB regarding pine plantations in Nadroga. He had contested the parliamentary election of March 1977 and September 1977 as an independent candidate, narrowly winning the Nadroga Fijian Communal Constituency. A prominent member was Napolioni Dawai, a Nadi chief, who had been an assistant Minister in the Alliance Government, but had lost pre-selection for his seat. He had been involved in disputes with tourist resort operators in Nadi regarding appropriate compensation for the use of his tribal land. Another prominent member was Isikeli Nadalo, who had formed the Nadroga Fijian Cane Growers Association and later the Fijian National Party to contest the 1963 election. He had then merged his party with Apisai Tora's Western Democratic Party to form the National Democratic Party, which in turn had merged with the Federation party to form the National Federation Party (NFP). Isikeli Nadalo was elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 under the NFP ticket but left the party following its split in 1977.

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