In Tuesday’s debate on the vote of no confidence, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa referred to the matter as a game of numbers.
She obviously saw a glass half-full.
In my “no confidence” speech, I openly acknowledged that we lacked the numbers to win.
However, I made it clear that our vote was not about the immediate outcome, but rather a powerful warning to both current and future leaders of Samoa.
It was a call to end the abuse of power by any government that hides behind our tradition of silence and respect for authority.
The Human Rights Protection Party in Parliament will not tolerate such behavior.
We now know that La’auli no longer has a legitimate claim to Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi government leadership.
That deception evaporated with his no vote.
What the world also saw, was the hypocrisy and lack of integrity in the FAST Party leadership.
The FAST Party Chairman simply lacked the moral courage to back his empty words.
For weeks, Samoa watched as his faction of the FAST Party relentlessly attacked their Prime Minister and her cabinet.
Through their letters and social media announcements, La’auli’s faction undermined Fiame’s leadership and credibility.
In his long 5-minute speech in Parliament, La’auli again launched another attack on the Prime Minister.
A few minutes later, he voted to support her remaining in office!
That speaks to the caliber of the man, who says one thing and does another.
Yet, he had the audacity to threaten that another vote of no-confidence could be called at any time.
With the result of the no-confidence vote, Fiame holds on to her Prime Minister ship.
La’auli continues to be the white elephant of Samoan politics.
Fiame plays a game of numbers, La’auli plays a game of manipulation.
While both play their games, the people of Samoa continue to suffer from their collective incompetence and greed.
Laauli’s gang has again sounded another vote of no confidence of their own before this Parliament sitting ends.
It was clear that the votes they cast this week were all about convenience and FAST Party election promises.
Let us see how long this latest desperate power play lasts, now that Fiame has served La’auli’s purpose.
Following the vote of no-confidence, Fiame now becomes the sole proud owner of Samoa’s electricity shut-downs and rationing, the drug epidemic, out of control cost of living, increasing gun and violent crime, deteriorating infrastructure and health services, the Hong Kong stock exchange scandal, Togitogiga land lease and sale, border violations and the ongoing million tālā village project scams.
Welcome to your reality.
Meanwhile, we believe the vote on the LTC reforms failed to secure the required two-thirds majority, primarily because the Speaker cast a deliberate vote which is illegal.
As a result, a court challenge must proceed to protect our nation from leaders who lack integrity.
As the famous saying goes, there’s no honour amongst …!
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Leader of HRPP