Kenneth Zinck - Election of 2006: Defeat

Election of 2006: Defeat

On 20 February 2006, Zinck said he had decided to contest the upcoming election, which was later held on 6–13 May, as an independent candidate. He had been invited to join the SDL, he told the Fiji Village news service, but had chosen to run as an independent at the request of his own constituents. Nevertheless, he declared that if elected as an independent, he would continue to support an SDL-led government, and expected to be included in any post-election Cabinet, according to Fiji Live (21 February). The election was won, however, by Bernadette Rounds Ganilau of the United Peoples Party (UPP), with Zinck finishing in third place. He blamed ethnic nationalism for his defeat, saying that Fiji's ethnic communities had all voted on communal lines, with the General Electors opting for the UPP.