Mahendra Chaudhry

Mahendra Chaudhry became Fiji's first prime minister of Indian ancestry in May 1999. His premiership was met with strong opposition from Fijian nationalists, and during his initial months in office, there were several arson and bomb attacks in Suva linked to extremists. In May 2000, Chaudhry and his government were taken hostage and deposed by a group led by businessman George Speight, who claimed to be acting on behalf of Indigenous Fijians. This event was accompanied by widespread looting and destruction of Indian-owned businesses. The president declared a state of emergency and took over governing powers, but after negotiations stalled, the army declared martial law. A Fijian-dominated interim administration was appointed, and while the hostages were eventually released, Fiji's High Court later declared the military-installed government illegitimate. Chaudhry failed to regain his post in the subsequent elections.12