By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
Must admit the Tui Atua eloquence of these past few days is refreshing.
Has been quite a while since the unique, pleading tenor in his voice caught the ears and excite the imagination.
His rare oratorical gift is unchanged. After such a long absence from within hearing distance, it was inspiring to catch up to it again.
Not everyone agrees with his politics and that is certainly besides the point.
Tui Atua maybe a ‘Tama Aiga’, former Head of State and Prime Minister, but his charismatic presence cannot be denied.
At 82 years old, he is by his own admission, too old to be involved again in the politics of leadership.
His political agitator and Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, does not think so.
Unbeknown, however, to the PM, his lashing broadside of the past few days, actually complimented the appeal the ‘ old man’ still packs in his inimitable aura.
Tuilaepa has and remains an awkward debate opponent for Tui Atua.
The perfect match up back in the day of Tupuola Efi was the late PM Tofilau Eti Alesana.
When the two go at each other, one is reminded of two champion boxers with their own winning styles, not giving any quarters in the ring.
Tofilau was a no nonsense straight jab and punch fighter in a style the Russian boxers favoured.
Tupuola was a bob and weave opponent with a lot of body feints and foot movements, so as not to telegraph where the punches were coming from.
He was a flamboyant political pugilist in the mix of a Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard.
The intensity of a Tupuola and Tofilau no holds barred flare-up, threatened to spill out of the Fono House into the Parliament lawn.
There were actually people listening to the radio broadcast who rushed over to check for a physical punch up when the House takes a session break to cool them down.
But all they get to see were MPs standing around the kava bowl laughing ‘jolly loud’ as if it was at a big joke.
Flash forward to the Constitutional Amendment bills that are making everyone forget about a deadly virus, the Tupuola rhetoric is still there even with the name change.
Since Tuilaepa took over with his bulldog grip on political power the excitement level is ordinary.
For those of us hooked on the yonder days of the TnT firepower debate, Tuilaepa without any worthy opponent in opposition is a big yawn.
So absolutely boring. Tuilaepa must be feeling the boredom too because he has fancied himself a story teller on national radio every week.
Maybe that is why the sudden Tui Atua burst into the Constitutional changes debate is refreshing. Good timing as well if you play it a few times in the head.
We have a general elections in just under 12 months time. Aspiring candidates are starting to come out of the political woodwork.
What better time to start making political noises whether it is the Constitutional debate or not, to encourage some opposition in Parliament?
We all agree that for our democracy to be healthy and vibrant we need a good opposition
Over a period of the past few general elections all we seem to be doing is pay lip service to what we want for our democracy.
Admittedly it is not from the lack of trying. The Tautua Samoa under Palusalue was starting to come along fine until the 2016 general elections wiped out any form of credible opposition.
The HRPP became so dominant they even decided to form an opposition party within the ruling party.
The intentions were good but it felt insulting after a while. The true integrity of a democratically elected opposition became a mockery.
Must credit the Salega MP Olo Vaai for being the only legitimate opposition Member who helped Tuilaepa see the flip side of the political spectrum.
One lone opposition MP crying out in the wilderness is heroic and noble but it would make a rippling difference if there were more.
But that is not going to happen unless we the voters can give birth to a new Tupuola Efi with the leadership qualities to re-live the hey days of the TnT debate classics.
The biggest challenge in the coming months up to the April 2021 polling day is to discover a strong opposition leader.
The ones coming out so far are not going to cut it. Not even by a whiff.
The sooner these people accept that, the better their chances of being taken seriously.
We have two or maybe three political parties officially declared to challenge the ruling HRPP.
They may want to merge into one opposition party to stand any chance of toppling Tuilaepa and Co.
The HRPP is going to marinate them in soy sauce and throw them on the bbq grill if they come brandishing their wooden forks, each on their own, to take over the Government.
Granted the search for a leader to lead any opposition out of the wilderness against the HRPP is not new.
But the window to do that is now opened. We have only as far as polling day and when the House is called into session to form a new Government, before it shuts on us.
Tui Atua is retired. He has admitted to being too ‘old’ so keep it there.
If his influence is needed to revive the swell of any opposition then he should continue to agitate as he is doing now.
The cause is a worthy one if the public outcry is for a strong opposition. If he is better off in a mentoring role then why not?
Maybe it is not just a call of duty but a divine pathway to restore the ideals of democratic rule into our current lopsided democracy.
As voters we either agree or disagree with the Tui Atua call of duty whether it is divine or not.
Lets also not forget that we can always agree to disagree. Free democratic choice dear folks.
Give it a Sunday thought.