“What he refuses to accept is that the Opposition members represent the thousands of Samoans who witness the FAST Party’s abuse of public funds that is happening every day.“
At the conclusion of the Parliamentary debate on the budget last Friday, Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa made a passionate appeal for the Human Rights Protection Party and Independent Members to support his government.
In my response, on behalf of the HRPP and Independent Members, I conveyed that this support is determined by the actions of the Government.
I did not elaborate.
The Prime Minister knows that the Opposition members are carrying out their constitutional duty to the nation.
We are here to serve and protect the interests of the people of Samoa by holding the Government accountable for its policies and decisions.
What La’auli expects is for the Opposition to shut up and let him do whatever he wants.
His plan to destroy the HRPP and Independents by picking off our members is proving to be an expensive exercise.
The cost of bribes and by-elections is starting to add up to millions of tālā.
What he refuses to accept is that the Opposition members represent the thousands of Samoans who witness the FAST Party’s abuse of public funds that is happening every day.
Just last month, at the opening of the Parliamentary administration building, La’auli and the Speaker received fine mats, many valued at over $5,000 tala each.
Along with the fine mats, came fat envelopes filled with cash from the District Development Funds.
By excluding HRPP Members of Parliament from chairing their District Development Committees, the Government has been able to use district development funds as the FAST Party’s private bank account.
Some of those district accounts have been completely depleted, resulting in one Cabinet Minister embarrasingly asking commercial banks to approve overdraft facilities for the District Development Committees.
PM La’auli again showed his disrespect for Samoa’s elected representatives when he announced in Parliament last week that they would be subjected to mandatory drug testing under the same directive his government has issued to civil servants.
This was challenged by former Prime Minister Fiame who reminded him that the legislative branch does not fall under the executive branch and that, unlike random ones, scheduled drug tests are useless.
We have all seen La’auli accused the HRPP leadership of treason, threatening to remove us from Parliament.
He has undermined and embarrassed HRPP Members of Parliament in their districts.
To suddenly make an emotional plea for the same HRPP members to support him and his government is a sign of an unstable leader.
As long as the Prime Minister and the FAST Party feasts on taxpayers’ money while the people are eating pakuamoa and he continues to disrespect our elected representatives, HRPP will dutifully serve as the nation’s loyal Opposition.
History has taught us that evil triumphs when good people do nothing.
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Leader of HRPP