Politics
Samoa Business Breathes Easier
Tuilaepa survives battles of March
Apart from two short spells as Samoa's opposition, the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) has managed the country's affairs since 1982. Since the mid 1990s the success of prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in restructuring what was once one of the most ramshackle economies in the region has made Samoa the darling of international finance agency bureaucrats.
Like Tonga, the economy remains uncomfortably dependent on millions of dollars remitted home annually by the tens of thousands of islanders who live abroad. Unlike Tonga, Samoa has had success in building tourism, fishing and some industry and agriculture. Apia, the capital, tidied up and bustling, with new buildings and location of one of the most attractive waterfronts in the Pacific, has never looked better, visitors agree.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
 |
|
|
Much of Samoa's present relative prosperity is attributed to prime minister Tuilaepa, who enjoys the backing of some competent civil service staff. Towards the end of March, after a general election in the month, Tuilaepa was preparing the structure of a new cabinet to continue running the country. But this with a considerably reduced majority and dependent on the goodwill of independent MPs enticed to the government side. The election cut the number of ruling Human Rights Protection Party MPs from 38 to 22.
Immediately after the election, the Human Rights Protection Party's rivals, the opposition Samoa National Development Party and the new United Independents group, claimed that they had mustered enough support between them to form the next government.
The Prime Minister insisted that the Human Rights Protection Party, with 22 seats, and independent supporters had a majority of 28 MPs with two more independents ready to sign up with him. It was, he said, was positioned to continue as the government.
Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi, leader of the United Independents, and Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi, a former prime minister and as leader of the Samoa National Development Party the opposition, were no less insistent that their combined support amounted to 27 MPs and control of the 49-seat fono (parliament). Tuimalealiifano said his group had 13 seats, the Samoa National Development Party 13, and 1 seat was claimed by the Samoa United Peoples Party.
But, as forecast by Tuilaepa, the Human Rights Protection Party picked up support from more independent MPs and he was re-elected by his party to carry on as party leader and prime minister.
Later, when parliamentarians elected a Speaker, the strength of Tuilaepa's position was demonstrated accurately. MPs voted by 28 to 21 to keep Human Rights Protection Party supporter Toleafoa Faafisi in the post he had held in the previous parliament.
On the other side of the house, the Samoa National Development Party and its allied independents decided on a change of opposition leader. Tuiatua, opposition leader for many years, was eventually replaced by Le Mamea Ropati.
Samoa's general elections customarily arouse a flurry of objections based on allegations of vote-buying and other forms of election trickery As party leaders uttered claims of victory the election office began recounting all votes. Some results were inevitably heading for decision by Samoa's Supreme Court.
Tuimalealiifano, who failed to win a seat, said Asiata Dr. Saleimoa Vaai would be parliamentary leader of the United Independents. Asiata is the son of former Prime Minister Vaai Kolone.
While the prime minister enjoys considerable esteem nationally the loss of the Human Rights Protection Party's comfortable majority was attributed to a feeling that the party's hold on power had been too long and that too many of its MPs had become complacent about the support of their constituents.
Should a change of government occur then unease would be felt in business circles about the new administration's ability, dependent as it would be on the goodwill of some potentially flighty independent MPs, to match Tuilaepa's impressive style of no nonsense economic performance. The new parliament now has three women MPs. Education minister Fiame Naomi kept her seat. Businesswoman Fagafagamanualitia Theresa McCarthy and National University of Samoa lecturer Safuneituuga Paaga Neri are the others. The election was more a battle of personalites than political philosophies. During the campaign the Samoa National Development Party promised to privatise the government-owned television and radio stations to prevent future governments for using them as election weapons by banning the reporting of opposition views and actions.
Samoa National Development Party spokesman Tupuola Siaosi Hunt said that as government, the Human Rights Protection Party banned opposing political views from the government-owned Televise Samoa and Radio 2AP. "That was something that was not right," Tupuola said.
"This is why our party has decided that if we gain power we will amend the law in the appropriate way to privatise television and 2AP so that government leaders like the Prime Minister and ministers will not interfere in their work."
Privatisation would mean freedom for both media to give all political parties equal access, Tupuola said. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that Tuiatua had been denied freedom of expression from the two government controlled media outlets. The ban was originally imposed by a former Human Rights Protection Party Prime Minister, Tofilau Eti Alesana.
The court order against the ban produced unprecedented coverage of the views of the government's political opponents by both stations.
