Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi, is a Fiji

Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

an politician of India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n descent. He was one of the youngest members to be elected into Parliament in 1992. He has represented the Nadroga

Nadroga (Indian Communal Constituency, Fiji)

Nadroga Indian Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 19 communal constituencies reserved for Indo-Fijians....

 Indian Communal Constituency, which he won for the Fiji Labour Party

Fiji Labour Party

The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...

 (FLP) in the parliamentary elections

Elections in Fiji

Fiji has held nine general elections for the House of Representatives since becoming independent of the United Kingdom in 1970; there had been numerous elections under colonial rule, but only one with universal suffrage . In this period, Fiji has had three constitutions, and the voting system has...

 of 1992

Fiji election of 1992

General elections were held in Fiji between 23 and 30 May 1992. It was the first election held since two military coups in 1987 had severed Fiji's 113-year old constitutional links with the British Monarchy, and later Fijian Monarchy, and ushered in a republic.The 1992 elections were the first to...

, 1994

Fiji election of 1994

General elections were held in Fiji between 18 and 25 February 1994. This election, the second since Fiji had become a republic following two military coups in 1987, was brought about by splits within the ruling Fijian Political Party and by the withdrawal of the support of the Fiji Labour Party,...

, 1999

Fiji election of 1999

General elections were held in Fiji between 8 and 15 May 1999. They were the first election held under the revised Constitution of 1997, which instituted a new electoral system and resulted in Mahendra Chaudhry taking office as Fiji's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.-Electoral system:Previously,...

, 2001

Fiji election of 2001

The Constitution of Fiji was restored by a High Court decision on 15 November 2000, following the failure of the political upheaval in which the government had been deposed and the constitution suspended in May that year. On 1 March 2001, the Appeal Court upheld the decision. An election to...

, and 2006

Fiji election of 2006

The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...

. After the 1999 election he was appointed Assistant Minister in Prime Minister's Office. He was appointed Minister for Youth and Sports and Employment Opportunities in the interim administration that followed the military coup

2006 Fijian coup d'état

The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and 2005-2006 Fijian political crisis....

 that took place on 5 December 2006. He was born to a family of Rajasthani

Rajasthani

Rajasthani is an adjective formed from the proper-noun Rajasthan.It can refer to:* Rajasthani people* Rajasthani language* Rajasthani architecture* Rajasthani art* Rajasthani cuisine* Rajasthani music* Rajasthani Painting...

 ascent.

On 19 May 2000, He was among the 43 members of the People's Coalition Government

People's Coalition (Fiji)

The People's Coalition was an alliance of three political parties in Fiji, formed in March 1999 to contest the parliamentary election to be held in May that year...

, led by Mahendra Chaudhry

Mahendra Chaudhry

Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...

, taken hostage by George Speight

George Speight

George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...

 and his band of rebel Republic of Fiji Military Forces

Military of Fiji

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...

 (RFMF) soldiers from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit

Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (Fiji)

The Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit or CRWU was the common name for the First Meridian Squadron, the unit's formal name, which had been disbanded in 2000...

. He was released on 21 May 2000, after he signed a paper resigning his seat in Parliament.

Vayeshnoi supported the Military

Military of Fiji

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...

 in its public disagreements with the Fijian government throughout 2005. He condemned the surcharge

Surcharge

A surcharge may mean:*an extra fee added onto another fee or charge** Fuel surcharge, sky freight charges which represents additions due to jet fuel prices.** Bunker adjustment factor, sea freight charges which represents additions due to oil prices....

 of more than F$49,000

Fijian dollar

The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

 levied in 2005 against Commodore

Commodore (rank)

Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...

 Frank Bainimarama

Frank Bainimarama

Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...

, the Military Commander, for blowing his budget in 2003.

In May 2006 Vayeshnoi became Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources in the new multi-party Cabinet

Cabinet (Fiji)

Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...

 appointed following the general election held on 6-13 May, but soon attracted media attention again with a parliamentary speech on 12 June calling for the shelving of certain policies promoted by his own government. Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase

Laisenia Qarase

Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...

 of the rival Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua

Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua

The Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua is a political party in Fiji...

 (SDL) Party threatened to take disciplinary action against him, and some of his own FLP colleagues, including party president Perumal Mupnar

Perumal Mupnar

Perumal Mupnar is a Fijian politician of Indian descent, who held the Yasawa Nawaka Open Constituency in the House of Representatives for the Fiji Labour Party in the parliamentary election of 2001...

, appeared embarrassed by his remarks. FLP deputy leader and fellow-Cabinet Minister Poseci Bune

Poseci Bune

Poseci Waqalevu Bune is a Fijian politician, who has served as Deputy Leader of the Fiji Labour Party . From June to December 2006, he served as Minister for the Environment, one of nine FLP ministers, in the multiparty Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase...

 also reprimanded him, according to Fiji Television

Fiji Television

Fiji Television Limited is Fiji's television network. It was founded on 15 June 1994 as the first permanent television broadcasting network in the country, although television had previously been introduced temporarily in October 1991 to broadcast the Rugby World Cup as well as Cricket World Cup....

. On 9 January 2007 he was appointed to the interim Cabinet formed by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who had led the December coup.