By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
What happens after the Supreme Court has delivered its ruling on Monday is reportedly what a FAST delegation wanted to find out from several key Government officials.
The group was seen in the afternoon at the Tuanaimato Gymnasium where the Office of the Electoral Commissioner is set up for the general elections this week.
Newsline Samoa was unable to officially confirm if the Electoral Commissioner Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio was one of the officials asked.
Yet to be confirmed also are reports that the group met with Commissioner of Police Fuiavailili Egon Keil and others.
A court ruling in favour of the FAST challenge is reportedly what the group would like to know when the transition of rule opens up and how to proceed.
The issue of separation of powers between the Judiciary and the Executive Office has been of public interest since the Head of State decree for fresh elections.
Whether that is behind yesterday’s afternoon run around by FAST leaders could not be confirmed in time to meet printing deadlines.
The ‘what happens next’ question will remain unanswered until the court ruling is delivered at 3.00pm tomorrow afternoon, Monday 17 May 2021.
A ruling to uphold the decree by the Head of State will have a domino effect on voiding all the court petitions on 28 or more than half of the 52 seats of Parliament.
The same would apply to the extra seat to make up the 10 percent threshold of women in Parliament.
If the ruling, however, favours FAST the courts will be in session for most of the year in election petition hearings.
The Office of the Electoral Commissioner will also be tied up with bi-elections to follow when required.
Chief Justice Simativa Perese, Justices Vui Clarence Nelson and Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren presided over the constitutional challenge at the end of the week.
The court proceedings had an early 8.30am start on Friday morning that continued for most of the day on arguments by all parties.
There was an early twist in the week when the Samoa Law Society Council applied to act as ‘amicus curiae’ or a ‘friend of the court’ in the hearing.
The Law Society wanted to assist the Court in case they may need support like in doing independent legal research.
The Supreme Court granted instead an ‘intervener’ status that would require them to choose whether to side with the plaintiff or the defendant at the hearing last Friday 14 May 2021.
The law society ‘intervener’ status was allowed during party submissions on Thursday before the Friday hearing.
The Law Society offer came in a Council consultation meeting last Tuesday that agreed to file an application to join the court proceedings.
The society however was divided in making the decision with strong objections from the Office of the Attorney General and the Samoa Law Reform.
Both objected to the neutral status of the society coming under disrepute for political involvement.