Coward tag rejected

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has denied that his government are a ‘bunch of cowards’ for continuing to ignore the Controller and Chief Auditor’s Report as well as the Officers of Parliament Committee (O.P.C) report highlighting instances of “corrupt practises” within certain government bodies.

Tuilaepa issued the denial yesterday evening during his weekly press conference where he was asked to respond to criticisms of the much-maligned Citizenship Investment Bill 2014.

In pointing out that the critics of the Bill are cowards, Prime Minister Tuilaepa was asked to respond to suggestions that his ruling Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P) is instead the coward for continuing to stall an official response to the reports in question.

Tuilaepa denied this.

“I’ve already announced officially during the last Parliamentary session,” he said. “A response to this report is not prepared by Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister, it is prepared by the heads of government bodies.

“We’ve already ordered the heads of government bodies to hurry up but they have asked for more time. You see, they can easily do that but they don't want to rush it because when it gets to the House, it wouldn't be complete.”

The Prime Minister reminded that a number of senior public servants involved in drafting the official government response were occupied with S.I.D.S last year. He said the Opposition Party simply does not understand the amount of work that had gone into hosting S.I.D.S, reminding that S.I.D.S lifted the profile of Samoa internationally.

Tuilaepa said he would prefer to be recognised for lifting the profile of Samoa internationally as opposed to becoming caught in internal matters that could wait.

Responding to criticisms about him ending the last Parliamentary sitting prematurely, Tuilaepa said he was surprised when he read the criticisms from the leader of the Opposition Party in the Samoa Observer.

“I sat there and thought to myself, since when was a Parliament session dedicated to members well wishes for their constituencies?

“There are many ways a member could do that, he could write Christmas cards and distribute them.

Secondly, he should pay 2AP or the FM Radio to air his well wishes. Or he could pay the Observer to publish his greeting.

“Parliament is where matters pertaining to the development of the country are discussed.”

Tuilaepa explained that the end of the year Parliament session is solely dedicated to the tabling of the Supplementary Budget.

“The leader of the Opposition has become so blind,” Tuilaepa said. “This is the problem when he keeps going to the newspaper. The more you keep going to express your opinions on the newspaper, the more people will know how stupid you are, especially the leader of the Opposition.”

Tuilaepa also dismissed fears that the Citizenship Investment Bill could open the door to terrorists to destroy Samoa.

“Look at what’s happening in France,” Palusalue said. “A door was opened to them and look what they’ve done.

“It’s happened in Papua New Guinea, it’s happening in other places nearby. It’s happening because people were allowed to buy citizenships and when they get a foot in the door, it is very hard to control them. We don't know these people.”

But Tuilaepa disagreed.

“How can those terrorists come so far to small Samoa?” he said.

“The problem with those countries is that they are land-locked from Africa all the way up to Egypt, to Israel and all the European countries and France.

“If you go to the east, it’s land locked from Russia to Asia. With these land locked countries, it is so easy for people to jump boundaries. But when you come here, it is not land-locked, you have to find a fare to come here.”

Tuilaepa said a terrorist would easily be caught in Europe “given the sharp computer systems designed to detect such people.”

The surveillance for terrorists, he said, is so advanced that no such person will be able to set foot in Samoa.

He also pointed to the local branch of the Pacific’s Transnational Crimes Unit, above his office.

“They know everyone who is coming,” he said.

“They are tracking everyone who is coming here. So it is very hard for a terrorist to fly from there to Samoa.”

Tuilaepa said Palusalue and the Tautua Party are a bunch of cowards.

“It amazes me about how cowardly they are,” he said. “They are afraid all the time. So when they come to run the country, what can they do? They have no guts. So they will do nothing.”

Created by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour, the Citizenship Bill proposes to allow a citizen from any country who is willing to invest four million tala in Samoa to become a citizen.