Fiji government under fire for new rules in proposed flag bill

Transcript

Fiji is deliberating on what rules should be in place on the use of the new flag, once it is adopted later this year.

A select committee is hearing submissions on the National Flag Protection Bill, which includes fines and jail terms for those who desecrate the new flag.

The bill also rules that once the flag has been changed this year, a referendum will be needed for further change.

Alex Perrottet reports.

The bill says a change to the new flag needs a three quarter majority vote in Parliament, as well as a three quarter majority referendum.

But to change the current flag, the Government simply issued an executive order, saying the Union Jack and the Coat of Arms were symbols of Fiji's colonial past.

The leader of the Sodelpa Youth Council, Peter Waqavonovono, says it's a double standard that the Government is bringing in rules to protect the new design.

"It's very ironic that the FijiFirst party has no reservations in changing the current flag and to allow taxpayers money to be funnelled into the production of a Bainimarama flag, and that's sad. This is a sad day for democracy."

But the chair of the select committee, Ashneel Sudhakar, says the current flag was introduced in 1970 without a referendum and there's no inconsistency.

"There has been no law, so the question of inconsistency does not arise. Because in a vacuum, in the absence of any law requiring a referendum on a majority, there's basically no basis of going to a referendum."

While the military is still working on its submission, the police told the committee the fines for misuse and desecration - up to $9,500 US dollars and up to 10 years in jail for an individual - were adequate.

But Peter Waqavonovono is adamant any new flag will not be accepted by the people, and he is ready to go to jail for tearing it down.

"I will reject this new and forced flag. And I won't accept any logo of the flag. Even going to the extent of removing the flag on any of the activities that I am at. I mean it's just a total rejection of the flag and a lot of people are currently in the process of declaring that also and we don't mind going to jail."

The committee is also looking at how the flag could be worn. A Government MP, Brij Lal, says he's concerned about the flag appearing on underwear and swimwear.

But the CEO of the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee, Lorraine Mar, says she's hoping for the status quo to be maintained.

"In terms of swimwear that is part of an athletes uniform. We would like to have that freedom. I think that the flag of a county instils a sense of pride and athletes compete under the flag of their country, so we would like to be able to continue to do that."

Lorraine Mar says she hopes the new flag will feature the same blue as the current flag, which is popular and iconic.

"I think that that is a really nice blue and it's a sky blue which says a lot about Fiji where we have a lot of sunshine and blue skies and from comments that we get when we wear our uniforms that the blue really stands out and there's not too many countries that have that blue, it does stand out and we would really like to keep that blue."

The select committee is due to report back to the Parliament by July the 6th. A new flag will be chosen by October the 10th - Fiji's 45th anniversary of independence.