By Staff Writer
A strong and healthy opposition leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, is due back home today from New Zealand after a medical check-up.
The former Prime Minister and his wife Gillian, who accompanied him, have been away since mid-February and arrives back while Samoa is under CODE RED lockdown restrictions now into two straight weeks since the COVID 19 virus broke out into the general community.
The 76 year old Tuilaepa and his traveling party will go through quarantine before they are cleared to return home.
The Human Rights Protection Party is prevented from rolling out the red carpet in a happy welcome back greeting on arrival for their leader, but may have something planned at the Maota o Petesa headquarters.
‘We will definitely have to welcome him back to his seat at the head of our team,” HRPP secretary MP Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.
The combination of Deputy Leader Lauofo Fonotoe Meti, Lealailepule Rimoni and a few leaders of the party have been ‘holding the fort’ in the absence of Tuilaepa with public reactions to issues of importance to the country.