Sale’aula Parliamentary seat continues to be a thorn on Government’s side

“Tuilaepa, please do this, restore Saleaula’s seat before you die.” – Fa’aso’otauloa Patī, MP, Gaga’emauga No.2.

“O lea la ou te tagi ū’ū ai lava ma ou tatalo pea i le Atua, alofa mai, atonu e iai se aso toe sui le finagalo i le afioga i le Palemia.” Fa’aso’otauloa Pati, MP for Gaga’emauga No.2.

APIA, SAMOA – 23 JUNE 2020:  Former Cabinet Minister and a senior member of the ruling Human Rights Protection Party, continues to passionately appeal to the prime Minister, to maintain Saleaula’s seat in Parliament.

Fa’aso’otauloa Pati of Gaga’emauga No.2. held parliament in silence as he passionately appealed to the Prime Minister to maintain the Saleaula seat as one of the six of the traditional Puleono of Savai’i which is in danger of being lost with the upcoming general elections next year.

The issue came to a head when former Speaker Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao opposed the electoral changes that carve up the former Saleaula constituency by removing one of its villages, Salamumu to be part of the Safata West seat. The rest of the constituency in Savaii has been merged with other villages that Fa’aso’otauloa believes will dissipate the traditional status of Saleaula as one of the six Pules of the Puleono guild of orators of Savai’i Islands.

The former Speaker’s opposition and vote against the changes, resulted in his sacking in May this year after a year-long verbal exchanges with the Prime Minister.

Realising the impact of the changes on his return in next years’ general elections, Fasootauloa last week prayed to the Prime Minister to restore the seat.

“It can be Changed again.”

His main concern is that if a candidate from Saleaula is unsuccessful in securing a seat in next year’s general elections, it means Saleaula will not be represented as one of the six of the Puleono and will not be represented in Parliament.

Fa’aso’otauloa and his village had been to the Prime Minister and also petitioned the Parliamentary Committee that reviewed the changes before it became law last year.

Fa’aso’otauloa said the Prime Minister gave his assurance that “it can be changed again.”

The issue came up in Parliament again yesterday and Fa’aso’otauloa again insisted but the Prime Minister insisted that the changes were only for election purposes but will not affect the traditional status of the Puleono.

Faasootauloa acknowledged the MP’s that have supported and defended the honour of Puleono i Salafai, and also the good work done by Government.

La’auli responded by acknowledging Saleaula’s stance, but Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi took it as an effort to create animosity against Government.

When the issue was raised again in Parliament yesterday, many of the MPs from Savai’i, representing the traditional Puleono, spoke up for the first time about the issue but mainly to exert their own status in relations to the other Pules.

This is one of the major changes to the boundaries for election purposes that have impacted on the traditional divisions of Samoa and the Prime Minister insists that these are only for election purposes.

However, opposing views point to a lot of contradictions in Government’s policies that on one hand is pushing to emphasize strengthening Samoan customs, but at the same time is demolishing the core Samoan traditions that are the foundation of those customs and practices.