By Martha Taumata Faavae
To retire or to go on! The clock is ticking faster and faster on the indecision the Minister of Women, Community and Social Development has been wrestling with for some time.
The political rumour mill has already retired, Tuitama Dr. Talalelei Tuitama, from running as an election candidate in 2021 for his constituency of A’ana Alofi No. 1.
But the election buzz is news to the Honourable Minister.
“ I haven’t made any decision yet whether to run or not in the general elections, we’ll all know what happens when the official nomination of candidates close in October,” Tuitama quietly confided in Newsline Samoa.
The Minister is finishing off his 5 year term that he started off as Minister of Health until a Cabinet re-shuffle re-assigned him to the Ministry of Women.
He is from the village of Faleasi’u, one of the two villages in his electoral constituency – the other is Sapulu.
There have been no firm indications yet of candidates who are likely to contest his seat whether he stays on or not.
There are reports, however, that a potential rival looking to contest his seat is a Government Ministry CEO who has already indicated an interest in running for the same political party the HRPP.
The Speaker of the House Toleafoa Fa’afisi is the only top political leader at the level of Tuitama to give an early indication of retirement and will not be seeking re-election.
Both are elected from neighbouring constituencies of the bigger A’ana Alofi territorial constituency.
