Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says since the abolition of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs) iTaukei have carried on as normal.

He told students of Vunisea Secondary School in Kadavu recently that the abolition had not affected the practice of iTaukei culture and tradition.

He said it was done because it had become a hotbed for divisive politics that caused racial tension. Mr Bainimarama said the country had grown together since.

He urged the students to become exemplary citizens by eradicating racial discrimination that had haunted our past.

“The traditional ceremony accorded to me and my team had never missed a tiny bit of its genuine attributes, performed by your parents, old folks who had travelled from afar to be part of this important event,” he said.

“Respect must first be taught and you will learn to see things in a respectful manner, no matter how or what people tell you, your beliefs will be unmoved when you understand what I have been trying to teach people in this country.”