Police influencing voters to support Government surface in polling booth

A voter casts her vote as police observe in one of the polling booths during pre-polling this week.

Staff Reporters

APIA, SAMOA – 08 APRIL 2021: An election candidate has lodged a complaint with the police over a police officer’s direct attempt to influence a voter during yesterdays’ pre-polling at one of the Sagaga 4 polling booths.

Opting to withhold names for possible legal action after the election, the carer involved was accompanying an elderly voter when asked by a police officer at the booth who they were voting for. When given the name, the officer then told the carer to vote for the government as “it was useless” – ma’imau le kaimi – voting for the candidate named.

The carer later informed the election candidate who then lodged a complaint with the Afega police station and resulted in the officers’ removal from the booth.

There are further reports of similar incidences of government officials influencing voters (especially voters using government services) since pre-polling started on Monday this week.

With the evidence from yesterday’s incidence, the candidate is considering legal action after the elections.

“Wrong to control people’s freedom to vote” – Police Commissioner
Late last month, a Police Inspector instructed a police officer to remove a sticker that promoted another political party from his private vehicle. The Inspector told the officer that he could be “locked up for doing that.”

When asked for comment, the Commissioner of Police, Fuiavailili Egon Keil told Talamua that the Inspector had no right to do what he did especially it was the officers own car and was free to display what he wanted on it.

“That is not true, you cannot charge anyone over that and the Inspector has no right to say that,” said Fuiavailili.

What people do with their off duty time has got nothing to do with police or government because everyone is free to vote for whoever they want to vote for, he said.

“If I had a car and I support a party I would stick their sticker on my car but it has nothing to do with police, and as long as it is not a police car because we don’t take sides,” said the Police Commissioner.

“On their personal cars they can do whatever they want to promote whoever they want because that’s their choice, and there is no controlling of peoples freedom to vote,” said Fuiavailili.