Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced Tuesday that the country will hold a competition to redesign its national flag. The move is an effort to remove symbols of Fiji's colonial past, including a British Union Jack and a shield with sugar cane, bananas, and a British lion.
"What does this have to do with us?" Bainimarama said to AFP. He added that the images were "honored symbols" of the country's past but did not illustrate its future. "The new flag should reflect Fiji's position in the world today as a modern and truly independent nation state," Bainimarama said.
The new flag will be unveiled on Oct. 11, the 45th anniversary of Fiji's independence from British rule.
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