‘We will be holding our national elections later this year and as we have seen before, we will again be confronted with old forces that seek to divide us.’

These are the sentiments of the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama while officially opening the Ramleela celebrations at the Tuva Primary School in Sigatoka last night.

He says in the Fijian society we openly share in the traditions and celebration of our fellow Fijians.

The Prime Minister says the art form of Ramleela has been practiced in Fiji for around 140 years.

Bainimarama says we can all be proud, that nearly a century and a half later, this festival continues as a joyous tradition in our nation's life.

He says diversity is our nation’s greatest strength, and our unity has emerged as the foundation for the great progress we have made for Fiji over the past decade.

The Prime Minister says there are values in every religious tradition and the Ramleela is one of them.