By Staff Writer
Suspended MP Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi is not surprised that Speaker Papali’i Taeu Masepa’u rejected in Parliament his complaint against the Deputy Prime Minister last Tuesday.
“I expected it, no surprises, we will take it up with the court,” he reacted when asked by Newsline Samoa.
Speaker Papali’i announced his decision to deny the MP’s complaint that was in direct response to what the deputy PM Tuala Ponifasio’s started, when his complaint was allowed to proceed for review by the House Privileges Committee.
The Harmony Agreement signed by the two political parties was at the roots of the two separate complaints.
The deputy PM was the first to express his concern after contempt of court convictions where the Harmony Agreement played a central, peace-keeping role in the court ruling.
The Speaker upheld the complaint and forwarded it to the House Privileges Committee.
The committee recommendation to suspend opposition leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and party secretary Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi was supported by a House vote.
The Lealailepule complaint that followed, highlighted what was felt to be the shameful failure by the FAST Government party to honour the noble spirit of the Harmony Agreement.
Speaker Papali’i, however, denied the complaint when the House session re-convened on Tuesday.
His decision was not made public except to say that it was already in writing and sent to the parties involved.
Opposition leader Tuilaepa laughed off the eventual turn of events against him and Lealailepule as revealing, with PM Fiame as the person responsible for the complaint but had stayed hidden behind her deputy.
The opposition leaders are on ‘indefinite suspension’ not knowing when or if they will be allowed back into Parliament.
Speaker Papali’i is unlikely to have any say in what was a decision carried by a vote in the FAST Government dominated Parliament.