Harish Sharma

Sharma was born in Nausori, Fiji in 1932. He grew up in "abject poverty".^[1] He worked as a civil servant and as an insurance agent before departing for Tasmania in 1960, where he received the LL.B. from the University of Tasmania in 1964. On his return to Fiji he first worked for Sidiq Koya then for A. D. Patel, before setting up his own law firm in 1969. He was nominated to the Senate by the Leader of the Opposition in 1970 and remained a Senator until the 1972 general election.^[2]

He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 as a candidate for the National Federation Party. He has contested a total of seven elections, without losing any. In 1987 he was chosen as the leader of the National Federation Party. He was instrumental in forming a coalition with the Fiji Labour Party with the coalition winning the 1987 elections. He was appointed the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Housing, Urban Affairs and Information in the month-long Government of Timoci Bavadra, which was deposed by Sitiveni Rabuka.

He re-entered Parliament in the 1994 general election, representing the Malomalo North/Nadi Rural Indian Constituency^[3] and served as Deputy Leader of Opposition under Jai Ram Reddy until 1999. In 2007 he was made a life member of the Fiji Law Society.^[4] At present he resides in Sydney, Australia.