The Honourable
Biman Prasad
MP
बिमन प्रसाद (Fiji Hindi)
Prasad in 2015
Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji
Assumed office
24 December 2022
Prime MinisterSitiveni Rabuka
Minister of Finance
Assumed office
24 December 2022
Prime MinisterSitiveni Rabuka
Preceded byAiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum[lower-alpha 1]
Leader of the National Federation Party
Assumed office
2014
Preceded byRaman Pratap Singh
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for NFP List
Assumed office
17 September 2014
Personal details
BornDreketi, Fiji
Political partyNational Federation Party
Spouse
Rajni Chand
​
(m. 1986)​
Children2

Biman Prasad is a Fijian politician and economist who has served as the leader of the National Federation Party since 2014, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance since 2022.[1]

Early life and education

Prasad was born in Dreketi in Vanua Levu and was educated at Muanidevo Indian School, Dreketi Junior Secondary School and Labasa College.[2] After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and economics from the University of the South Pacific, he pursued a Masters of Commerce from the University of New South Wales and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland.[3]

He married Rajni Chand in 1986. They have two children.[4]

Academic career

Prasad became a lecturer at the University of the South Pacific in 1986.[5] He was President of the USP staff Association from 1999 - 2006, head of the School of Economics from 2003 to 2007, and Professor of Economics and Dean of the faculty of Business and Economics from 2007 to 2011.[2] He is Associate Editor of the Journal of Fijian Studies and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pacific Studies.[2] Professor Prasad has published several books and journal articles. He has done consultancy work for many regional and international agencies and governments in the South Pacific region.

In April 2014, Prasad resigned as Professor of Economics from the University of the South Pacific to pursue a political career.[5] He continues to hold Adjunct Professorships at the Griffith University, James Cook University and Punjabi University in Patiala, India.

Political career

Prasad stood as a candidate for the National Federation Party in the 1999 election, but was unsuccessful.[2] In 2001, he was nominated as President of the party, but declined.[2]

In March 2014 Prasad was elected as leader of the NFP.[6] He competed in the 2014 election, winning 8,097 votes, the fourth highest-ranked candidate.[7] His party received 5.2 per cent of the popular vote and 3 of the 50 parliamentary seats. Prasad subsequently became the Shadow Minister for Finance, Planning and National Statistics and Chairman of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee.[8] His efforts to use the Public Accounts Committee to scrutinise the government's accounts resulted initially in a government boycott,[9] and in 2016 in his removal as chair.[10] In 2015 he led an unsuccessful attempt to revoke the controversial media decree, which limited freedom of the press.[11][12] He also called for the government to lift its entry ban on Fijian historian Brij Lal, who had been forced into exile in Australia.[13] In September 2016 he was one of a group of opposition MPs arrested after attending an NGO meeting to discuss the military-imposed constitution.[14] He was released after spending a weekend in jail,[15] and no charges were laid.[16] After his release he criticised the government's claims that Fiji had returned to democracy.[17]

He was re-elected at the 2018 elections,[18] winning 12,137 votes. In October 2019 he called for the 2013 Constitution of Fiji to be reviewed, as it has been imposed on Fiji by the military regime.[19] He contrasted this with the 1997 Constitution of Fiji, which had been developed by a process of public consultation.[19] In October 2020 he was investigated by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption over donations made to the NFP.[20] He subsequently sued supervisor of elections Mohammed Saneem for defamation over the allegations.[21] On 25 July 2021 Prasad was arrested by Fijian police after criticising government moves to amend land legislation.[22]

In the leadup to the 2022 election he was arrested by police on charges of "indecently insulting or annoying a person".[23] The director of public prosecutions subsequently refused to lay charges,[24] and criticised police for not investigating the alleged incident properly.[25] It was subsequently revealed that Prasad had been taking legal action against the accuser's husband.[26]

He was re-elected in the 2022 election[27] with 11355 votes.[28] On 24 December 2022 he was appointed a Deputy Prime Minister (one of three) and Minister for Finance, Strategic Planning, National Developments, and Statistics in the coalition government of Sitiveni Rabuka.[29] One of his first actions as Minister was to reinstate funding for the University of the South Pacific, reversing the Bainimarama regime's funding freeze.[30]

Notes

  1. ↑ as Minister of Economy

References

  1. ↑ "Sitiveni Rabuka is Fiji's new prime minister". Radio New Zealand. 24 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Professor Biman Prasad". University of the South Pacific. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Rice farmers son excels in academia". Fiji Times. 17 June 2007. Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Kumar, Wanshika (20 February 2021). "Dr Chand: Hard work key to success". FijiTimes. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  5. 1 2 Dreu Vukailagi (14 April 2014). "USP farewells politics bound academic, Dr Biman Prasad". FijiOne. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  6. ↑ Maciu Bolaitamana (29 March 2014). "Dr. Biman Prasad is the new NFP Leader". FijiOne. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "2014 Election Results". Fiji Elections Office. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  8. ↑ Shadow Minister- Retrieved 2016-06-13
  9. ↑ "Fiji's Prasad hits back after PAC meeting deferred". RNZ. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  10. ↑ "Prasad says Fiji committee toothless". RNZ. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  11. ↑ "NFP calls for Fiji media law repeal". RNZ. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Controversial Fiji Media Decree to remain". RNZ. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "NFP pushes Fiji Govt to let academic back home". RNZ. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Fijian opposition leaders remain in custody". RNZ. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  15. ↑ "Prominent Fijians released after weekend in police cells". RNZ. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  16. ↑ "No charges for detained prominent Fijians". RNZ. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "NFP leader says Fiji is no democracy". RNZ. 13 September 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  18. ↑ Talebula Kate (18 November 2018). "2018 General Election: NFP trio to join Opposition". Fiji Times. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  19. 1 2 "Call for review of Fiji's constitution". RNZ. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "Fiji's NFP leader investigated by anti-corruption body". RNZ. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  21. ↑ "Fiji's NFP takes legal action against Supervisor of Elections". RNZ. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  22. ↑ "Fiji opposition MPs taken in by police". RNZ. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  23. ↑ Inoke Rabonu (27 October 2022). "NFP Leader Biman Prasad Charged, On Bail". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  24. ↑ "Fiji opposition leader Prasad escapes charges over complaint". RNZ. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  25. ↑ "War of words in Fiji over decision not to charge opposition leader". RNZ. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  26. ↑ "Prasad's lawyers call Fiji police commissioner's actions unprecedented". RNZ. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  27. ↑ Singh, Indira (18 December 2022). "Top 55 confirmed". FBC. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  28. ↑ "Biman Chand Prasad (427)". Fijian Elections Office. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  29. ↑ Apenisa Waqairadovu (24 December 2022). "Siromi Turaga sworn in as new AG". FBC News. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  30. ↑ "Fiji government to reinstate University of South Pacific grant contributions". RNZ. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
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