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By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
Faleata MP Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi is one of the opposition members of the House puzzled by an overriding influence by the Minister of Agriculture over other Cabinet Ministers.
The MP questions why the Agriculture Minister, La’auli Polataivao Fosi, is the one answering questions by members when it was not directed at him but to the Ministers in portfolio.
The claim is that La’auli is even answering for the Prime Minister.
Lealailepule pointed out as one example the Minister calling for a ‘clean up’ of the electoral roll in the recent debate of Parliament.
“ He is not the Minister of Justice who is the rightful person to answer our questions because our general elections is under his watch.
“La’auli is not a lawyer or a judge like the Minister of Justice who has an extensive background as well in the law and what he says has credibility.”
The Faleata MP insists that what the MAF Minister is doing speaking up for the other Ministers undermine the role by his fellow Cabinet members.
He noted that the Minister is doing the same for the leader of Government when he speaks up as if on behalf of the Prime Minister.
On a more sinister note the MP is disappointed with the threatening tone by the MAF Minister on the media to take legal actions against anyone who mocks or ridicule the work of the FAST Government.
Lealailepule felt the Minister’s warning was intended for MPs who embarrass the Government on social media.
“Freedom of expressions is an essential part of our democracy in Samoa, it is guaranteed under our Constitution,” Lealailepule challenged.
“Threatening people for speaking out on their views is not how we do things in this country.”
The disappointment for the MP is how they tolerated critics like the notorious social media character OLP with all the made up claims to defame the character of the HRPP leadership when it was in power.
The Prime Minster at the time, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, was the favourite target from the safety of the social media anonymous policy.
“The poor PM was at the end of every wild allegations and most uncivilized comments by OLP and followers.
“I too and my family took a severe beating on social media at that hit-and-run death at Vaitele of a university student where I was alleged to have been the driver of the vehicle.”
Lealailepule brushed aside the social media criticisms aside as to be expected from a platform popular with the young not fully developed generation.
His only concern is that some of the worst critics on social media against the HRPP Government were opposition Members of Parliament who are now Cabinet Ministers in the FAST Government.
“But now that they’re in Government they’re trying to intimidate by threatening retaliation for something they were doing themselves.
“I have gone back online and recorded on file every comments and criticisms by these former opposition members who are now in Government, with a copy to be handed over to the Speaker of the House for his information.
“Anytime anyone of them speaks out to contradict what they published online I’ll just open up the file and point out what they said.”
Politicians as far as Lealailepule is concerned are public figures who should learn to take whatever is thrown at them for who they are.
He is saddened and shocked by a staff of the Legislative Assembly who is reportedly being suspended for 4-weeks for comments made on social media.
To penalise the staff member without at least prior warning is a concern that is unfair when the MPs are or did it themselves and probably influenced workers in the service.