Bavadra, Timoci (1934–1989)

Fijian centre-left politician, prime minister in 1987. A Melanesian chief from the main island of Viti Levu, Bavadra formed the left-of-centre Fijian Labour Party (FLP) in 1985, which advocated a neutralist, non-nuclear foreign policy and racially bipartisan and socialist domestic policies. After the April 1987 general election he was able to form a coalition government with the Indian community-oriented National Federation Party (NFP) to end 17 years of rule by the conservative Alliance Party of Kamisese Mara. However, after only 32 days as prime minister, Bavadra was ousted in a military coup, led by Major General Sitiveni Rabuka, who was concerned that the FLP–NFP government would favour ethnic Indians at the expense of the ethnic Fijian community.

On Bavadra's death from cancer in November 1989, his widow, Adi Kuini Bavadra (1949– ), took over as FLP president until 1991, and became president of the All National Congress (ANC) in 1995. She opposed constitutional changes by the Rabuka regime, which sought to entrench ethnic Fijian control. Unlike her husband, who was a commoner, Adi Bavadra is of noble birth and related to Kamisese Mara and Penaia Ganilau.