By Staff Writer
ER Day is sweeping in quickly for the public sector or public servants with serious intentions of running in the April 2021 general elections.
The actual day falls on the 25 April 2020 or Friday this week with ER standing for Election Resignations.
All public servants intending to stand as candidates for their respective electoral constituencies have until this last week to hand in their resignation notices.
Several Chief Executive Officers and assistant CEOs are known to have already registered with their political party of choice, mostly with the Government Human Rights Protection Party, HRPP.
As of last Friday, however, no official notice of resignations from anyone has reached either the Public Service Commission or the Ministry of Public Enterprises.
All public servants employed under Government Ministries have to hand in resignations to the PSC.
Government Corporation staff have to resign through their respective Board of Directors or the Ministry of Public Enterprises.
An official notice has already been circulated inside the public service to inform staff members running in the general elections to give notice of their intentions by the end of this week.
“The service requires four weeks notice of resignation to minimise any major disruptions to the work during the staff transition,” a senior official of the Public Service Commission explained.
“Ministry assets that were in use by the CEO and other senior officials have to be returned.
“Benefits due for the resigned staff member have to be organised as well.”
Under the policy arrangement, the resigned staff member will serve out the remainder of the period and be out of the office by mid-October 2020.
The movement of staff is not new but it is a closely watched trend during election year moreso when a CEO is involved.
Three CEOs have registered with their choice of political party to make the move to a political career if they succeeded at the polls as candidates for their home electorates.
One assistant CEO is also confirmed so far.
A full list of public servants hoping to make the switch to a career in politics will be made this week when the Friday deadline runs out.
Records of public servants who resigned in the lead up to the last general elections in 2016 are not possible for a comparison of the highs and lows of the career transition.
The PSC is unable to determine from the resignation notices handed in by public servants prior to the last general elections if it was to stand as an election candidate or not.
The Ministry of Public Enterprises has no official records as well.
In an added development the Electoral Commissioner, Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio has given official notice on the nomination of candidates for the general elections.
Electoral constituencies have from the 13 – 23 of October 2020 to nominate election candidates.
Staff of the Office of the Electoral Commissioner will set up at the Don Bosco Hall in Salelologa, Savaii to officially record nominations from the 13-15 of October 2020.
Staff will set up at the MPE Conference Room at level 1 of the Plaza for 16-23 October 2020 to undertake the same work for Upolu.
The rolls for all electoral constituencies will be closed on 9 October 2020 until after the general elections 2021. Registration of voters will close at 4.00pm on 8 October 2020
