The Conservative Alliance (Matanitu Vanua in Fijian) was a right-wing political party in Fiji, and a member of the ruling coalition government. It was commonly known as the CAMV, a combination of the initials of its English and Fijian names. At its annual general meeting on 17 February 2006, the party voted to dissolve itself and merge with its coalition partner, the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL). The President of the party at the time of its dissolution was Ratu Tanoa Cakobau, a Bauan chief, while Ratu Josefa Dimuri served as General Secretary. For legal reasons, Parliamentary members of the disbanded party maintained a separate caucus in the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, until the end of the parliamentary term, on 27 March 2006. Party founding The Conservative Alliance was publicly launched at Furnival Park in Toorak, Suva, on 15 June 2001 by defectors who broke away from the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei, which had governed the country from 1992 to 1999, when it lost the general elections held that year. As part of its founding ideology, the party emphasized that the offices of President and Prime Minister should be reserved for indigenous Fijians, and that Christianity should be constitutionally established as the country's official religion. Among those attending the launch was the Rev. Tomasi Kanailagi, President of the Methodist Church. Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, a Kubuna chief, was appointed President of the party, with Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu of Tovata and Ro Alivereti Tuisawau of Burebasaga as the two Vice-Presidents, thus representing at the apex of the party the leading chiefly clans from the three confederacies to which all Fijian chiefs belong. Ratu Josefa Dimuri was appointed General Secretary of the party. The 2001 election George Speight, who led the civilian coup d'état against the elected government of Mahendra Chaudhry in May 2000, joined the new party, as did many of his supporters. In the parliamentary election held to restore democracy in August 2001, the party fielded candidates in 36 of the 71 electorates. Six of their candidates were elected to the House of Representatives, including Speight. (Unable to take his seat due to his imprisonment on treason charges, Speight was subsequently expelled from Parliament for nonattendance, and his brother, Samisoni Tikoinasau, won the ensuing byelection to fill the vacancy). To secure a legislative majority, the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) of Prime Minister Laisenia