An opponent to Fiji's flag change says a petition calling for a referendum is unlikely to be considered before the flag is changed.
The leader of the youth wing of the opposition Sodelpa party, Peter Waqavonovono, says his 2,000 signature petition is waiting for a standing committee to consider it.
However, he says the committee is unlikely to sit before the flag is changed in October, and he wants it fast-tracked.
"We're still waiting for that committee to sit on our petition and hear our views on the referendum. In Parliament, a few of the Members of Parliament basically stood up and they basically said 'this is a sad day for Fiji because it looks like by the time the committee actually sits to hear the issues regarding the petition, the flag would have changed."
Peter Waqavonovono also says his group's campaign to enter 7,000 reproductions of the current flag to the government's flag competition won't be considered by the government.