, ▁Ko ya ▁was ▁elected ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Federation ▁Party . ▁He ▁adopted ▁a ▁conc ili atory ▁style ▁of ▁leadership ▁and ▁soon ▁had ▁an ▁agreement ▁with ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Alliance ▁Party , ▁R atu ▁Sir ▁Kam is ese ▁Mar a , ▁for ▁independence ▁for ▁F iji . ▁There ▁were ▁those ▁within ▁his ▁party ▁who ▁had ▁opposed ▁his ▁leadership ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁un ve iling ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁constitution ▁the ▁opposition ▁from ▁within ▁gained ▁strength . ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁in ▁F iji ' s ▁history , ▁Ko ya , ▁the ▁opposition ▁leader , ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁being ▁too ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister . ▁ ▁Split ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Federation ▁Party ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁elections ▁held ▁after ▁independence , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁saw ▁the ▁N FP ▁win ▁ 1 9 ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 2 ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives . ▁O pp osition ▁to ▁Ko ya ▁from ▁within ▁the ▁party ▁grew ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁the ▁party ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁groups ▁when ▁some ▁members ▁of ▁his ▁party ▁expressed ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁Agricult ural ▁Land l ord ▁and ▁Ten ants ▁Bill , ▁which ▁Ko ya ▁and ▁the ▁N FP ▁officially ▁opposed . ▁( K o ya ▁and ▁his ▁people ▁did ▁not ▁opp ose ▁the ▁changes ▁but ▁suggested ▁the ▁party ▁ab st ain ▁and ▁thus ▁defeat ▁the ▁bill , ▁which ▁required ▁a ▁ 7 5 % ▁majority ▁to ▁help ▁it ▁to ▁pass .) ▁The ▁differences ▁were ▁swe pt ▁under ▁the ▁car pet ▁for