By Staff Writer
Will they be sworn in or not? The question is for the opposition Human Rights Protection Party, HRPP, with all of its 18 elected members yet to be sworn in.
The Speaker of the House, Papali’i Li’o Masepa’u, makes that decision but as at the start of the weekend there has been no official word yet.
The opposition party members have not been officially summoned also to take their seats in Parliament.
Unless the Speaker makes a formal announcement tomorrow on Monday, the country will be made to hold its breath until Parliament is called to session on Tuesday to find out.
Speaker Papali’i promised a written decision after an early meeting last week with the HRPP leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, but as of last Friday there was still no formal response.
A stand off has developed between the wishes of the opposition party for its elected members to be sworn in the presence of the Head of State.
The Speaker has already officially declared in writing to the HRPP leaders that he is legally entitled to swear them in.
HRPP Maota i Petesa party headquarters overflowed with supporters last Friday who were called to attend a special national meeting to be updated on the official position of the party.
The party leadership also used the meeting to encourage everyone to attend en masse the opening session of Parliament to share and enjoy the ‘historical moment’ of their swearing-in.
Voters in HRPP electoral constituencies are asked to join immediate and extended family members of elected MPs on the day at the Mulinu’u Parliament Building.
“God has a plan for us. Keep the faith,” HRPP leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, encouraged the large turnout.
“These are seats assigned in Parliament to electoral constituencies, we have a right to those seats as duly elected members, if not us who then,” Tuilaepa repeated earlier declarations on the issue.
Political spite and legal differences have remained for each side, since the ‘under the tent swearing-in’ of PM Fiame Naomi Mataafa and her FAST political party MPs, to form the new Government under an Appeals Court ruling.
Another looming question that would throw the political instability in the country into more chaos is what will happen if the opposition party MPS are not sworn-in.
Will they all have to return to by-elections as suggested inside Government political circles?
The same issues were also raised inside the HRPP meeting during a lively question and answer session before the final resolve for everyone to attend and take part in the Parliamentary events this week.