By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
Parliament was a hard listen last week as members made their final farewell to Government and to their respective Constituencies.
Goodbyes are never easy especially with someone close. There is always a heavy lump crying tears inside your chest when that happens.
We have listened and reacted for the last 5 years to the debates in Parliament by our political leaders, freely elected to make decisions for us.
By the time their term in office ends, as it is the case with this 16th Parliament, the people inside are already household names.
We all react differently when we hear or see them but whatever and however that maybe, it is hard to deny that in the end we do feel closer to them in one way or another.
To win the trust of voters enough to win a seat in Parliament is a lifetime experience that only a few can talk about.
The winners are the lucky ones who will willingly admit that they went through a trial of fire to get through. At least in the end they were rewarded,
Imagine what it must have felt for the others who were in the same fire, some badly traumatised, with nothing to show in the end for all their pains!
Perhaps they can be thankful that the ordeal is done and over with. The same cannot be said about the winner and holder of the seat.
The daily torment continues of reaching into the money pockets, even when it is already empty, to feed the desperate hands of constituents reaching out to them almost daily.
Many seem to forget or could not care less that these politicians have families too they must feed like any other normal human being.
As politicians or ‘ father of the constituency’ wherever they go, much is expected from them, usually in keeping with their leadership status.
So they must be on the go at anytime all the time.
Question is why do some members end up staying on for lifetime careers in politics?
Why do others last one term and are out of the doors as fast as they can never to return again?
Our ‘God Servants’ divined that it is spiritual and members stayed longer because they have found their true calling.
If that is the case then there are a few of them in our Parliament.
Outside of the Prime Minister Tuilaepa, the Speaker Toleafoa Fa’afisi, veteran opposition MP Aeau Peniamina and former Cabinet Minister Fa’aso’otauloa Pati Taulapapa are elders of Parliament.
All are calling an end to their long political careers when the current Parliament is dissolved in a few days time.
PM Tuilaepa is promising to stay back for his ‘swan song’ term in Parliament coming up before he retires from politics.
So too are several longer serving members if they are returned in the election polls next April.
When that time comes along and we are still around then the chest lump will have grown even bigger and the tears harder to keep from drowning out the heart.
Whatever political loyalties we have, they should all be set aside in a show of gratitude to these fathers of the nation for their leadership and guidance.
We should be thankful they did not sit on their calling but braved the trial of fire to answer the call of duty with their God given leadership skills.
Our independence is edging closer to 6 decades and we are able to boast easily about our political stability.
Much of the credit is to the leadership we are blessed with since we raised our own national flag and pledged our Christianity as a country founded on God.
To all our retiring leaders a very big thank you.
By the end of polling in April, new leaders will be elected to steer Samoa onwards.
We look forward with anticipation and hope that they will continue where the others before them left off.
Lord as always we look to your never ending love to watch and guide our leaders and country on the right path.
We thank you for allowing us to share in your peace on your day of rest.