Speaker needs more time on parliamentary privileges matter

Staff Reporters

APIA, SAMOA – 03 MAY 2022:  The Speaker of Parliament, Papali’i Li’o Ta’eu Masipa’u needs more time before he can give a ruling on a matter of parliamentary privilege raised by a Member of Parliament against other MPs last Friday.

The Speaker was supposed to deliver his ruling this morning, but told Parliament he needs more time to peruse the matter and did not give a date he would deliver his decision.

Papali’i announced last Friday that he had received a written complaint by a Member of Parliament on a matter of parliamentary privileges under 178 (1) of the Standing Orders and the written complaint had already been served.

With holding the names, he ordered the MPs involved to submit written responses to his office by 4pm yesterday, Monday 02 May 2022 and he will announce his decision today, Tuesday 03 May.

While he did not mention the identities of the MPs affected, two Opposition MPs revealed themselves to the media last Friday afternoon as the ones the complaint was against and that the matter stemmed from the recent court case on contempt of court.