By Staff Writer
Unless there is another court–like ‘tail ending’ twist when the Speaker is supposed to swear in the new women MPs, the celebration continues for Ali’imalemanu, Fagaesealii and To’omata.
The three women are ruled eligible as members under the 10% threshold membership Act for the special seats in the 51 seat-Parliament soon to become 54.
The wait has been a long one for the two opposition HRPP women members Ali’imalemanu and Fagaesealii.
After waiting for more than a year, Ali’imalemanu, went religious with praises of God’s love with nothing left but to take her seat after the swearing in on a date yet to be announced.
“Thank you God ….it’s been a long wait of a year and many months and thank you to all the mothers,” Ali’imalemanu responded in grateful spirit.
“It has not been an easy struggle getting this seat with all the difficult challenges through the pains of shameful public mockery.
“But there has to be an end to everything and through faith and resolve the ending can be rewarding.”
Fagaesealii was thankful and conciliatory in an attempt to mend the post-general election divisions in her Aleipata itupa-i-lalo electoral constituency.
“To those who voted for me and the others who didn’t, thank you – we’re all in this together for the good of our constituency.”
The soon to be new MP paid special tribute to her 93 year old mother who ‘fast and prayed’ for her while awaiting the court ruling.
Fagaesealii left for last her acknowledgement of the women with an appeal to work together.
“We are mothers, lets forget our differences and work together for Samoa our constituencies and us as women and our roles.”
The path for the special women’s seat has been a turbulent one, when it erupted into a huge controversy after it first threatened to turn the numbers in the House into a ‘Hung Parliament.’
The option was a return to general elections to break the 26-26 deadlock in the number of seats shared by both political parties.
The deadlock ended when the Court ruled FAST to be the legitimate winning party and installed them as the new Government, throwing the once peaceful political landscape in Samoa to political disarray and bitter divisions that continues to linger.