Competition for new Fiji flag starts today

A nationwide competition to design a new flag for Fiji begins today.

The Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, says the competition will end on the first of May, when a national committee of citizens will sift through the entries to choose the best ones.

That committee will be chaired by the assistant minister for youth and sports Iliesa Delana, with other members – including two from the opposition – yet to be announced.

The committee will then make a selection for public consultation, before Cabinet decides on a submission to Parliament, for a final consideration when it sits in July.

Mr Bainimarama announced the flag change last month, saying the current Union Jack and Coat of Arms beneath it doesn’t represent Fiji, but rather former colonial power Britain.

But the Opposition says the change is undemocratic, and a petition has been circulated to try and prevent the change.

Source: Radi New Zealand International