Head of State Postpones 22 August Parliament Sitting

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 9 AUGUST 2023: The Head of State, Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi 11 has issued a notice postponing the Parliament sitting scheduled for 22 August 2023 to 24 October 2023.

No reason was given in the notice regarding the postponement but cited provision 52 of the Constitution and 170 (2)(g)(ii) of Parliament Standing Orders.

Section 52 of the Constitution on Meeting of the Legislative states that:

“The Legislative Assembly shall meet at such times and at such places as the Head of State appoints from time to time in that behalf by notice published in the Samoa Gazette and recorded in the Savali: PROVIDED THAT the Assembly shall meet not later than 45 days after the holding of a general election and at least once in every year thereafter, so that a period of 12 months shall not intervene between the last sitting of the Assembly in one session and the first sitting thereof in the next session.”

Provision 170 (2) (g)(ii) of the Standing Orders states in section 2 that it is the responsibility of the Parliamentary Commission to:

(g) recommend to the Assembly an Annual Sitting Programme of sittings for each calendar year which…

(ii) on being adopted by the Assembly the sitting programme operates subject to any decision by the Assembly to the contrary and the Speaker shall have discretionary 102 authority on the flexibility of the programme subject to Article 52 of the Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa.

Former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and Faleata No 4 Member Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi were to return to parliament after the Supreme Court revoked their two year suspension for contempt of parliament and after serving only nine months of Parliament’s decision.

The Speaker is appealing the Supreme Court decision.

Parliament is also short of three Members as three constituencies are going back to by-elections after their MPs resigned from the HRPP Opposition and a date has yet to be announced for the by-elections.