Race based systems will not come back into the country according to Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

While speaking on the draft constitution to villagers in Serua, Commodore Bainimarama said Fiji had a good lesson after the events that occurred in 2000 and following that.

He said this brought in a lot of negativity for the people in the country and it was a threat to our women and children.

Commodore Bainimarama said he does not want this to happen again.

The Prime Minister said this is the main reason why the Republic of Fiji Military Forces went out of its way to ensure that people follow the right path.

He said the new constitution will focus on avoiding the things that happened back in 2000, which includes race based systems.

Commodore Bainimarama then told the villagers that he used to ask himself when he was a child attending Sunday school or going to school.

He said he was never taught in church that there should be racial discrimination.

The Prime Minister also said that it is not in our school curriculum to hate people of other races.

Commodore Bainimarama said race based systems started from 1987 and continued after 2000.

The draft states that the Republic of Fiji is founded on the values of common and equal citizenry and national unity.

It also states that a person must not be unfairly discriminated against on the grounds of their actual or personal characteristics or circumstances, including race, culture, ethnic or social origin, colour, place of origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, birth, primary language, disability, age, religious, marital status or pregnancy.

Race based voting has also been removed.

The draft states that the election of members of parliament is by a multi-member open list system of proportional representation, under which each voter has one vote, with each vote being of equal value.

Story by: Vijay Narayan & Rusiate Baleilevuka