By Staff Writer
The much anticipated return to Parliament of HRPP opposition leader and former PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and party Secretary, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, is not happening when the House is called to session this morning.
Tuilaepa is currently away in France for the World Rugby Council Meeting while Lealailepule is tied up in New Zealand with a family funeral.
It is unclear when Tuilaepa returns whereas Lealailepule is due back in the country this week.
Both have survived two separate Parliament suspensions staged last year for their removal with majority votes, by the Government dominated House.
The first was for an indefinite period until it was overturned in a Supreme Court ruling in May 2022.
Another Parliament vote to suspend the pair a second time for 2 years was again thrown out by the Supreme Court later in the same year in October.
This second judiciary verdict left the doors open for the opposition MPs to rejoin House sessions starting this morning.
Even so they are still not in the clear with the looming appeal by Speaker, Papalii Taeu Masepa’u, of the second Supreme Court ruling, due to be heard before the year runs out.
The suspensions for the pair were tied to legal hearings on contempt of court charges they were both found guilty of.
The ongoing political clash continues the instability of national leadership since the 2021 General sections fall out.
Added uncertainties involves serious criminal matters lined up for court hearing against several Cabinet Ministers and an Associate Minister, over the unsolved, hit and run death, of a male youth at Vaitele about two years ago.
MP Lealailepule filed court charges recently against the Minister of Agriculture Laauli Leuatea Schmidt and the Associate Minister of Police, related to damaging allegations that he was the driver responsible.
Lealailepule is linking the Minister and Associate Minister to allegation circulated widely on social media, by a male who claimed to be an eye-witness, who named the opposition MP as the person responsible for the road death.
Deputy PM Tuala Ponifasio ran into legal troubles a little while back for the sale of an excavator without the approval of the owner of the heavy machinery.