POLITICAL OPINION: When Truth Becomes the Casualty of Political Power

(Governments response to the Leader of the Opposition)

In his latest Letter to the Editor of 23 August, the Opposition Leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi engages in his old game of shifting the blame on someone else.

When he lost the 2021 general election and again in 2025, and all the ensuing by-elections, he found an excuse and blamed the FAST Party and “truth as the casualty of political power.”

The FAST Party’s manifesto is the official document that contained its policies it told the voters it will implement when elected. The FAST Party initiated the political Roadshows that Tuilaepa labelled in 2019 as “a foreign idea” and his influence stopped FAST from staging roadshows in several HRPP stalwart constituencies in the lead up to the 2021 general election.

In the 2025 general election campaign, the FAST Party went to all 51 constituencies – meeting, talking and telling voters about what was in the party’s manifesto and what it plans to implement when voted to Government.

The FAST Party’s policies are clear and Tuilaepa admitted that the people had wanted change.

But change in political power was almost too late for Samoa.

Tuilaepa seems to have forgotten but it was the HRPP’s 3 controversial Bills that cost them the 2021 general election.

The Samoa Law Society led the campaign against the 3 Bills that also drew opposition from local and overseas professional bodies including the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. FAST picked up the issue and supported it and made changes to what it saw needed change and kept what it saw important.

Infact, it was the President of the Lands & Titles Court who stated during his swearing in that the LTC 2020 Act was poorly drafted. He also made the humorous reference to the Act as others “drank the bottle of beer but got others drunk and walking zig zag.”

Then there was taxing the clergy and Tuilaepa’s rude language and running people down that all contributed to his and HRPP’s downfall.

Selling customary land and LTRA was never a FAST policy issue. Even Tuilaepa’s claims as criticisms alleging his and his children’s overseas houses and investments. These were social media posts but not FAST’s position.

Expressing Opposing Views vs Defamatory Language
But Tuilaepa continues to blur the lines between the Oppositions parliamentary role to criticize and offer its views on issues of public interest, and defamatory comments.

He expressed the same view in parliament last week, expressing his disappointment against the latest police charges against him when he again made personal attacks against the Prime Minister in what is described as a press conference. This was despite a court order against him making such public comments against the PM.

The Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa supports Tuilaepa’s view that the parliamentary Opposition views is an essential component of parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister also does not in anyway intend to stop the Opposition Leader from talking to the media and expressing his views on issues of public interest.

The Prime Minister made the same point to Tuilaepa in parliament last week that he and Government was not stopping the Opposition from expressing its viewpoints on any issue. But to do so with malicious language that borders on defamation, is not acceptable. And after months of persistent attacks, the Prime Minister had no choice but to resort to the law.

The Prime Minister also made the point that he had stopped going on social media as that seemed to have been the basis of division between political parties’ supporters. He asked the FAST supporters to stop posting divisive social media posts in order to keep harmony both in the country and the diaspora.

He pointed out to the Opposition Leader that the fiery comments he makes on social media platforms do incite the public and continue the political division.

These comments also have a negative impact and cause confusion among public servants’ loyalty who have been under one government for most of their working lifetime and is one of the challenges the FAST Government is facing.

Clear Social Welfare Policies
In the 2025 general election campaign, the FAST Party went to all 51 districts – meeting, talking and telling voters about what was in the party’s manifesto and what it will implement if elected as Government in August 2025 general election.

The FAST Party’s manifesto spells out it was going to increase funding for the District Development Projects to $2M a year; implement a social welfare program covering newborn babies in the first 35 months of life, raising benefits for 70-year-olds and others in a program that cares for all Samoans from the “Womb to the Tomb.”

There were competing policies from HRPP and other parties, but the people of Samoa chose to elect the FAST Party to be the government. Not political deception.

These projects are already being rolled out and benefiting especially those at the lower end of the economic/social ladder and despite everyone’s political affiliations.

These policies were calculated on the back of an improving economy with similar initiatives in the 2021 FAST Government manifesto although they got disrupted through a power and leadership division that forced an early election in mid 2025.

Economic Performance in 5 Years
When the first FAST Government got into power in July 2021, Samoa’s international debt under HRPP’s 20 years with Tuilaepa as Prime Minister, stood at $1.2bn or 46% of GDP. GDP recorded at $2,169m.

Under the FAST Government in 2024/25, GDP recorded at $3,584m. Government International debt dropped from $1.2bn in 2021 to $690m at June 2026 or 19.4% of GDP.

Foreign Reserves at 2021 was $732.7m approx 10.7 months of import cover.

At June 2026, Foreign Reserves was recorded at $1.66bn SAT (approx 15.7 to 15.9 months of import cover.

(Figures published by the Central Bank of Samoa)

The Government is not turning away from answering to the public because that was the very democratic principle of how and why it got elected. It went to all 51 constituencies and consulted with the people.

Due to the divisive narrative pushed through social media, the Prime Minister and Government is now keeping the public informed through Press Releases and the regular parliament sessions. On the floor of parliament where the people’s representatives speak out and the Government delivers its mandate of answering and informing the people.

That is scrutiny; and last week, parliament was informed will extend to Members questions in future parliament sessions.

And as Tuilaepa himself said, the Government is providing the people of Samoa nothing less.

Press Secretariat