Fiamē receives first contact from Tuilaepa – Turns down Invitation

Prime Minister elect and FAST Leader, Fiamē Naomi Mataafa.

APIA, SAMOA – 31 MAY 2021: Prime Minister elect, Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa has confirmed she just got the first contact from caretaker Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi through a letter last Saturday afternoon.

At midday Saturday, Fiamē told the media that Tuilaepa was telling “tales” to the media that he had been making contact for a meeting to resolve the current political stalemate but without any response.

On Sunday evening, Fiamē took to social media to explain that the gist of Tuilaepa’s letter, on the official government letterhead, asked to resolve the current stalemate using Samoan customary protocols without resorting to the courts “that is loaded with its own work.”

Tuilaepa also invited Fiamē and ranked chiefs of her village of Lotofaga to attend HRPPs Monday’s rally at Tiafau malae where the focus was on women and the 10% representation in Parliament as the court was hearing the appeal by the HRPP against the court ruling on the matter.

Fiamē told supporters on social media that she has turned down the invitation as her village of Lotofaga and Tuilaepa’s village of Lepā cannot alone decide on the national issues pertaining to Government as the country has given its verdict through their vote.

She also said that Tuilaepa is using the official government stationery to say again that he does not recognize the rule of law and is now relying on customary ways and the support of the clergy.

“This is not a good sign Samoa,” said Fiamē. “As I have been saying last year, that what’s happening to Tuilaepa’s government is not respecting the rule of law and is using that to cover his refusal to concede his defeat in the elections.”

What has also happened to HRPP is that the forty five days are over and their elected members have missed being sworn in as under the law.

Fiamē, says calling the women to come to march in support of the additional seat in parliament is using the women for political ends when actually the decision is with the hands of the court, not the women who will come and march.

She also corrected what Tuilaepa had been implying that she does not support the law to have more women MPs in parliament and emphasized the letter of the law that spells out 5 women members in the 51 seat parliament.

“We are the five elected women members that now satisfies the law,” she said.

The HRPP rally called for Monday supports the additional seat to make it 6 seats to be held by women in parliament.

Tuilaepa also called for the presence of the Samoan chiefs and orators “for the world to see how they resolve the current political stalemate using Samoan protocols and traditional customs of respect.”

The members of the influential Council of Churches will conduct the prayer service to start proceedings at the Tiafau malae.