By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
The Falealupo FAST by-election candidate should learn to choose his words carefully and wisely or regret letting the mouth on the loose as he did.
Threatening to resort to gunfire if he is unsuccessful in his second bid to be the next MP for the Falealupo seat is not a laughing matter.
Much has happened to divide the Savai’i electorate since the winner of the general elections was forced to let go of her seat for her own peace of mind.
To blurt publicly about blasting off a few rounds of gunfire as if it was a joke should never be taken lightly by anyone in any community torn apart by their political loyalties.
The consequences could turn tragic if it ends up sparking off any unwanted reaction or retaliation everyone will later regret.
The regrettable irony in this is for a person who aspires for leadership to show poor judgment by coming across as insensitive to the risks of peace and harmony among his own.
A trigger-happy leader in a far off corner of the big island conjures unflattering images of a shoot out between the good and bad guys in a remote Wild West town in some old western cowboy movies.
If that is the image Falealupo wants then they can thank their by-election candidate for making it possible.
If not then what other choice is there for them if they are going to be stuck with a gun loving leader?
The FAST party chairman was quick to pick up on the slip-up and tried to go into damage control mode with calming promises to the Falealupo leader he will win.
But in doing so the Chairman landed into a major slip-up himself with assurances the court ruling will favour the FAST candidate challenge to disqualify his HRPP rival from running in the by-elections.
The HRPP political watchdogs picked up on the scent that has festered like a bad odor since a Judiciary ruling installed the FAST Government.
Obviously the HRPP is a long way from healing the deep wounds the court ruling left behind.
What still remains is a tender spot they are highly sensitive towards and would protect against it at all costs.
The FAST Chairman comments could easily be an innocent slip of the tongue but was it truly so or was he being boastful?
His political nemesis would point to the latter and have done so already.
What started off as a by-election candidate thinking he was being funny has now mushroomed into a growing cloud of doubt and distrust against the Judiciary yet to hand down their court verdict.
We are already into a big political week with all the 7 by-elections coming up on Friday.
The week appears to be off already on a slippery footing that turned bitterly sour right at the outset of the by-elections build up.
The climax and whatever possible fallout will set the final scene for the week when the poll results are announced on Friday.
Where we go from there and the new doors that will open when our political travel momentum picks up again will keep us on our toes in the post-election run.
There is a full range of perspectives on the current state of our political affairs whether for or against the parties in place.
One very noticeable fact is the former ruling party the HRPP has become a formidable opposition force keeping watch on the young FAST Government still trying to find their bearings as they cling to power.
If there is a prayer that should outrank all others for the success of our by-elections, it should do with our hopes that the outcome will clear up the cloud of uncertainties that has lingered ever since our April general elections.
Our progress so far has been unsure and still is to a large extent. If these by-elections will return us to a stable footing we are familiar with from the last four decades lets hurry up and vote.
We have to find our way back to our stable ways to stand firmly once again as a small island country admired for its development growth and above all stability.
We deserve it as a people.
Lets not joke about it because we are no jokers.