Krishna Datt

Infobox Politician (general)
name= Krishna Datt


imagesize=300
title= Member of House of Representatives (Fiji)
term_start= 1987
term_end= 1987
predecessor=
successor=
title2= Minister for Foreign Affairs and Civil Aviation (Fiji)
term_start2= 1987
term_end2= 1987
predecessor2=
successor2=
title3=Member of House of Representatives (Fiji)
term_start3=1994
term_end3=2006
predecessor3=
successor3=
title4=Minister for Labour and Employment Opportunities
term_start4=2006
term_end4=2006
predecessor4=
successor4=
birth_date=
birth_place= Labasa, Fiji
death_date=
death_place=
party= Fiji Labour Party
residence=
spouse=
profession= Teacher, Trade Unionist
religion= Hindu
footnotes=

Krishna Datt, last name sometimes spelt as "Dutt", is a Fijian politician of Indian descent. Born in Labasa, Vanua Levu in 1944Fact|date=February 2007, Datt served as Principal of Suva Grammar School, where he participated in the national teachers' strikes in 1985, which launched his political career with the Fiji Labour Party.

Datt was first elected into the House of Representatives in 1987 and was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Civil Aviation in the Chaudhry Government before being deposed by the coup of 1987. [ [http://lawakibeqa.tripod.com/history.htm#Chronological%20history FLP History] ] He also contested and won the Ba Rural Indian Constituency in the 1994 election.

After the present constitutional arrangements came into force in 1999, he represented the Macuata East Open Constituency, one of 25 elected by universal suffrage. He was re-elected in the 2001 election with an increased majority and held the positions of the Vice-President of the Fiji Labour Party, and its parliamentary whip.

In 2003, Datt was offered the portfolio of Minister for Special Education, the Disabled and National Library Services , together with 13 other FLP parliamentarians who were offered cabinet positions by the Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase but the FLP refused to accept this offer. [ [http://www.fiji.gov.fj/cgi-bin/cms/exec/view.cgi/8/1196/printer PM announces 14 FLP Ministers] ]

On 12 December 2005, Datt announced that he would retire from politics at the parliamentary election scheduled for 2006, but on 14 March 2006, said that he had changed his mind at the request of his party. In the election duly held on 6-13 May, he won the Nasinu Indian Communal Constituency with an overwhelming majority, and was subsequently appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Labour and Employment Opportunities, one of nine Ministers from the FLP in Laisenia Qarase's multi-party cabinet.

The FLP members of the Cabinet were advised by its leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, to vote against the 2007 budget but Datt was absent during voting. Chaudhry threatened those not voting against the budget with disciplinary action, and there was a public feud between him and his party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry but the 2006 coup took place before any action could be taken. [ [http://www.islandsbusiness.com/archives/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=130/focusContentID=7020/tableName=mediaRelease/overideSkinName=newsArticle-full.tpl Labour cabinet ministers told to resign] ]

References