By Martha Taumata Faavae
The Tautua Samoa political party is not going to make any play to win over to their side the resigned Deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa.
Doing so would be a major pre-election boost for the former leading opposition party but it will be her choice.
Tautua Samoa party leader Afualo Wood Salele is full of praise for the brave action by Fiame but is not going to actively chase after her to join up.
“ We’re all hearing the talk about her switching over in opposition to Government but she knows already where she wants to go, “ Afualo reacted without saying to which party.
“To us it doesn’t matter which political party, the winning choice is decided from above and whichever that maybe that is the new Government to lead Samoa.”
MP Aeau Peniamina agrees.
The respected Parliament elder and one of only two opposition MPs under the Tautua Samoa party flag is not surprised.
He has seen members resign political appointments or parties in his long experience in the House.
“But this is the first time a deputy PM or the PM’s right hand man opposed Government,” Aeau said.
“Member resignations is nothing new except that in this case there are many opposition parties in place.
“I do admire Fiame for her courage by standing in support of her electoral constituency without regard to the costs to her position in Government.”
Aeau echoed what the Tautua Samoa party leader said earlier of giving faith to the choices from above to decide the winning party.
“All appoints are made from above regardless for how strong a political party is.”
The steady buildup to the 2021 general election went into overdrive last week when Fiame walked out as Deputy Prime Minister.
She handed in her resignation to the Head of State and also talked with the Prime Minister Tuilaepa before she bowed out.
Officially she resigned in protest over proposed constitutional amendments to the Lands and Titles Court.
“ I handed in my resignation at 12.00 noon today to the Head of State and I have also met and talked with the Prime Minister,” Fiame told Newsline Samoa on the phone on Friday about an hour afterwards.
“I did not agree with the Constitutional amendment bills and so the only option for me is to resign from Cabinet.”
The Friday resignation sparked a wave of public speculations that Fiame will run as an opposition member in the general elections.
Officially, however, she is still an HRPP Member of Parliament even if she has resigned her Cabinet portfolio as Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.
“ The decision on where I stand now is for the party to make but they recently let go of two other members so I guess in my case I too will end up as an independent MP like them.”
Fiame cannot commit to any political party for now while still in Parliament or she will lose her seat and have to contest a by-election to retain her seat.
She has given no official indications so far of committing to any opposition political party also.
There is a general understanding that she will quietly run out the remainder of the term with the few months still left to go.
The whole sequence of events started earlier in the week when Fiame’s home village of Lotofaga rejected the constitutional amendments to the Lands and Titles Court.
Fiame agreed with the village and it sparked the sequence of events that ended with her resignation.
The Prime Minister Tuilaepa was duly informed of the deputy PM’s rejection and felt she should resign.
