Martha Taumata Faavae.
The Human Rights Protection Party HRPP has earmarked September 15 as a day to be remembered and commemorated every year as the darkest day for democracy in the history of Samoa .
HRPP leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi made the statement in a press conference last week.
He also promised that September 15 will become an official holiday when the HRPP comes into power again.
The comments by the former Prime Minister and now the leader of the Opposition follows two days of political chaos when the Speaker of Parliament, Papali’i Taeu Masepau refused to swear in the HRPP elected members and also locked them out of Parliament.
Tuilaepa described the actions by the government as dictatorial.
The reason given by the Speaker in a letter for not swearing in the HRPP members was that they did not recognise the new FAST government and himself as the Speaker.
Tuilaepa explained that there is proof to show that they recognised the Speaker and the new government when they expressed the wish to be sworn in.
He also pointed to the fact that his caretaker Government had vacated their offices immediately as directed by the new government.
“ I don’t know if Fiame would like us to bow down and kneel before her – that would be very arrogant,” Tuilaepa said.
The former Prime Minister regretted the political controversies of last week as something he has never seen happen before in the country.
He wanted the occasion commemorated to remind future generations of the ugly past and to make sure it would not emerge again.
The HRPP leader would not want any government to manipulate the police into threatening imprisonment on the freedom of people to move around freely as they wish.
Police Tuilaepa said when asked for the section of the law that restricted that freedom the police hesitated because he believed that there was no law.
“ A church minister knelt before the police and apologised on our behalf and that should never have happened.”
He added that members inside Parliament knew everything that was going outside and what they were saying through the use of phones.
The former Prime Minister was also left to grieve at how the Head of State and Masiofo, the Member of the Council of Deputies and the delegation of the Nation Council of Churches were completely ignored by the Prime Minister and the government.
They simply came to plead with the government he added.
Tuilaepa said they have to go to the court to get an answer and the court ruled in their favour. For this Tuilaepa thanked the court.
Tuileapa vows that when the HRPP is back in Government again incidents of this nature would never emerge again.
“ Our intention is to put a stop to the ugly events of this nature and any leader or government in the future from using these tactics for vengeance on a political party.”
He indicated that laws will be amended to make sure that the situation that happened last week would never be repeated.
Tuilaepa said that such incidents are embarrassing for a country founded on God.