Krishna Datt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Krishna Datt, last name sometimes spelt as Dutt, is a Fijian politician of Indian descent. Born in Labasa, Vanua Levu in 1944[citation needed], 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 has held Cabinet office and is recognized as one of the founders of the Fiji Labour Party, back in 1985. 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 is currently the Vice-President of the Labour Party, and its parliamentary whip.
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 Macuata East Open 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. He has since been at the forefront of a public feud with his party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry.
