P.M.'s state of mind a concern for Tautua

Leader Palusalue Faapo II claims the Prime Minister is showing signs of too much “stress” resulting from taking responsibility for all his ministries rather than sharing duties with his Cabinet.

In fact the opposition leader says that Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi suffers from “many illnesses” brought on by stress. Palusalue claims that the matter is easily solved.

“It is a very simple matter if they abide by the [audit] reports instead of protecting others and letting others walk.

“We are worried that is why we said Tautua is prepared to lead the country,” he said.

He said his party was concerned with the manner Tuilaepa is making comments, including personally insulting people.

That kind of talk should not be coming from a leader of the country. His comments were made Wednesday afternoon during the Samoa Tautua party’s weekly Press Conference held at Palusalue’s office at the Tofilau Eti Alesana Building at Tiafau.

Tautua is focusing on the reasons why the Prime Minister is not making a move to remove Minister of Finance Faumuina Liuga Tiatia from his portfolio following confirmation of allegations of corruption by the Officers of the Parliament Committee (O.O.P.C.) following a review of the Controller and Chief Auditors report.

One M.P. told media he would leave the ruling party if the Finance minister was not sacked. He later made a public retraction of that and called it a “joke”.

Palusalue insists there is trouble within the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.).

Tautua was prepared to lead the country if the PM was unable to fix his problem, he said.

Questioned about this issues on its Wednesday radio talk show, Tuilaepa referred to the Tautua party as a “Tifitifi” and “Tuuu”. Both the Tifitifi and Tuuu are very small fish.

And he referred to the H.R.P.P. members as “big fish”. Palusalue retorted that “tifitifi and tuuu are smart enough to hide under coral during troublesome times but big fish swim where they get swallowed by sharks or by whales.”

He said the controversy is not finished yet, with debate on the audit report due in Parliament on the 18th of March.

Veteran MP Aeau Peniamina referred to the Prime Minister’s comments as insulting especially when the whole country was listening.

“It’s an insult.” In fact he said every time the Prime Minister speaks about this particular issue with his party regarding his Minister of Finance “excuse me, but it’s like talking to old men from Lepa”.

Referring to last week’s H.R.P.P. meeting after Prime Minister Tuilaepa’s arrival back in Samoa after controversy about a new party, Aeau said the six and a half hour deliberations was an indication of how long it took to try and bring his party back together.

The country however has a right to know what went on in that room, said Aeau.

Especially when the matter at hand has a huge impact on the whole country regardless of whether H.R.P.P. is their party and not the country’s.

“My advice to the Prime Minister?

Not everyone is stupid and not everyone is ignorant.”

Aeau said the Prime Minister had made the mistake of considering his cabinet ministers before the country. In anything, “the country should be a priority”.

Aeau then referred to the Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s decision to sack four of his Ministers for what he called causing instability in the government.

But reports state that sacking of these ministers came as a result of several other issues such as the misappropriation of funds.

Aeau called this “solid, bold courage”.

Mr. O’Neill did not consider his ministers but put his country first, said Aeau, calling on Tuilaepa to do the same thing.