This island nation is ready to ditch the Union Jack
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Version 0 of 1. The Pacific island nation of Fiji is the latest country to signal its intent to remove the Union Jack from its flag. This insignia of the British empire remains in the flags of independent countries in the region, including Australia, New Zealand and Vanuatu. Fiji to remove ‘outdated’ Union Jack from flag http://t.co/E8IA0dkNmM pic.twitter.com/7At8Pb0IBf — The Guardian (@guardian) February 3, 2015 Fiji to remove ‘outdated’ Union Jack from flag http://t.co/E8IA0dkNmM pic.twitter.com/7At8Pb0IBf — The Guardian (@guardian) February 3, 2015 "We need to replace the symbols on our existing flag that are out of date and no longer relevant, including some anchored to our colonial past," said the country's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. "The new flag should reflect Fiji’s position in the world today as a modern and truly independent nation state." Bainimarama said a national panel would settle on a new design — aided by the input of Fijians on social media. The new flag would ideally be raised by Oct. 11, the 45th anniversary of Fiji's independence from Britain. The current Fijian flag features a light blue field with the Union Jack ensign in its top left corner and the country's coat of arms in its center. "The existing flag is widely loved and admired and I want to stress that this initiative is in no way a repudiation of it or the warm sentiments we all feel whenever it is raised," Bainimarama said. But he insists the Union Jack and other composite elements in the current flag "belong to the British" — not to the multicultural island republic on the other side of the world. "The shield on our flag has the British Lion and the Cross of St George — a British patron saint. What does this have to do with us?" asked the Fijian prime minister, a former army man who first came to power in a 2006 coup d'etat, but has since contested (and won) national elections. The current timeline places Fiji ahead of New Zealand in the race for a new flag. As reported earlier by WorldViews, New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key intends to hold a national referendum in 2016 on radically changing his nation's flag. Key's favored design is believed to be the silver fern, which British-American comedian John Oliver quipped looked similar to the black flag of the Islamic State. The moves to change these designs reflect a growing republican spirit among commonwealth nations, one that's not born out of any particular colonial resentments, but more a sense that it's time to let go of the trappings of a long-faded empire. Key hit the nail on the head last year: "I don't think it's one of those things we should hang around with forever." |