Falealupo Village Rejects the 3 Controversial Bills

SAVAI’I, SAMOA – 24 JUNE 2020: The Falealup village has rejected the Lands and Titles Bill 2020, Judicature Bill 2020 and the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2020 now before the Special Parliamentary Committee.

Orator Fuiono Tenina confirmed the villages’ position in an interview with Talamua yesterday.

He however said the Government should not have touched what have been set down in the country’s Constitution achieved through the hard work of Samoa’s forefathers.

One of the four orators – the Toafa, Silia La’ei Sosaiete was concerned about the impact on the six traditional orators of Savai’i, the Puleono under the new election boundaries that now threatened the loss of Sale’aula as one of the main orators of the Puleono in Samoa’s future Parliament. Silia La’ei blamed the Government for this.

No more Honour in Parliament Proceedings

Fuiono said they always look forward to listening to the fono when Parliament sits. But with the level and standard of the Samoan language used in the House, he said “we would rather do something else.”

Fuiono said the session are predominantly verbal fighting and always started by the Prime Minister and the childishness of the language has influenced the language used by the other Members of Parliament.

Silia La’ei believes Parliament has lost the respect and mana it used to conduct its proceedings and have swayed far from the faa-Samoa and Christian values of how things are done.

“I feel very sad about it, and sad for the country, as we’ve lost the respect and honour we are used to,” said Fuiono.