The government has been accused of effectively moving to get rid of two of its own sitting members.
The accusation comes from Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) member, Papali’itele Niko Lee Hang, in the wake of the tabling the Constitution Amendment Bill (No.2) in Parliament on Monday.
The bill proposes to change Article 44 of the Constitution to void the individual voters seats and replace them with two urban constituencies.
The Introduction of the proposed Bill reads: “To implement the recommendations of the 2012 Commission of Inquiry into Electoral Matters to change the individual voters constituency to two urban constituencies.”
The individual voters’ seats are currently occupied by Papali’i and Maualaivao Pat Ah Him.
Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, Papali’i said he could not understand his leader’s reasoning about wanting to void the seats now.
“The thing is, we are both members of the H.R.P.P,” he said. “Why now? Why not wait until after the elections and see the results if the members of the individual voters still support H.R.P.P. and then find a way to get rid of them.
“That is how politics works. But not while we are there, supporting the Party and yet the Party wants to get rid of us.”
Papali’i said the Prime Minister said to them that as members of the Party, they should support what the H.R.P.P. wants.
“Despite that, it is affecting our seats,” he said.
Further, Papali’i said Tuilaepa has said if they want to be a member of the H.R.P.P, then they must toe the party line.
“Well I don’t agree to that anymore,” he said. “I have to say what I think is right and what I believe, not what others believe.”
Papali’i says he will not accept the recommendation to this change.
“Well there has been some negative reactions yesterday,” he said in regards to the reactions to alteration to the process of election of the Head of State.
“But the issue for us was the change of our seats, which they need to amend the Constitution first.
<!-- 336x280 (bottom-article) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-2469982834957525"
data-ad-slot="1033882026"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}
“So I stated the case, I won’t accept the recommendation to change the Constitution regarding our seats.
“And I stood firmly yesterday (Monday) and I told Parliament that I am against that and my counterpart Maualaivao we both disagree to the amendment regarding our seats in the Constitution.”
In addition to this, Papali’i said this amendment would pose a problem for both himself and Maualaivao in the upcoming elections.
He said they could not understand the need for the change now as it really does not change anything.
“That will present a problem for us in the upcoming elections,” said Papali’i. “(Right) now we can go back to our voters and get the support from them and be back again come next elections and still support H.R.P.P.
“So that is a question for us and that is why we are against the change in the Constitution.”
The Member said he couldn’t understand why the government has moved to pass this amendment while himself and Maualaivao were still members of the H.R.P.P. “That is the question I find hard to understand because we have been in support of the H.R.P.P. for a long, long time,” said Papali’i. “And for a long, long time one member from our constituency would be a Cabinet Minister.
“Until the last election and then the Prime Minister changed it, we don’t have a seat in Cabinet anymore the first time. So I think it shows that he was trying to get rid of our seats.”
He said he could not understand why the Prime Minister could not just let the current set up die a natural death.
“When we first came to Parliament, there were six members from the individual seats,” said Papali’i. “And eventually the number of voters reduced and likewise, the number of seats reduced. Now we have two seats now.
“And the way that it is in the Constitution that the seats will finally be removed when the number of voters are totally erased from the roll.
“Because as people move on to become matai they are not eligible to vote as individual voters. So I thought we will leave it to its natural death that the role will not have enough number of voters.
“Then maybe reduce the seats to one seat until it hasn’t got enough people there because people will decide to go and vote in their villages and then that will be a natural cause of death for the role.”
But, he said the way the government is handling the situation is not right.
“But not the way the government is now doing because they should look at us we are still members of the H.R.P.P.,” he said.
“Try to delay maybe come the next election if we don’t come back and Opposition Members take the seats then it is time.
“If they are still in government then that is the only logical thing to do is to step in and do this because they don’t have the support there anymore the members are now a part of the opposition.”
Finally he said he hope there will be other Members of the H.R.P.P. who will support their cause.
“The Tautua is supporting us because which they believe they wont support the amendment because of the Head of State,” he said.
“But for us it is just our seats.”
<!-- ads-articles(24.03.14) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="2395638412"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}