Of Opportunists

(2) A Mixed Bag

And Sincere Men

By R. F. RANKIN, in Apia

The election of Tupua Tama sese Lealofi as the new Prime Minister and his subsequent selection of eight new ministers to make up his cabinet was greeted with very mixed feelings.

The election was very close. On the first ballot, Mata’afa got 19 votes, Tupua 17 and Tupuola Efi (son of the late Tupua Tamasese) 10. On the second ballot Mata’afa and Tupua tied at 23 votes each.

Mata’afa was unfortunate that his Minister of Lands and sure supporter, Toomata Lilomaiava, died the week before.

Parliament adjourned for the day and after a night of intrigue the vote the next morning gave victory to Tupua by 25-20.

A 49-year-old senior medical prac titioner specialising in physchiatry, Lealofi is one of the four paramount chiefs of Samoa and was, before his election to parliament, a deputy Head of State.

He owed his election as Prime Minister however, not so much to his high title, which is on about a par with Mata’afa’s, but to support from newly elected young MP’s, from older members who felt they had no hope of high office with Mata’afa still in power, and from a long and care fully planned campaign over the months preceding the election.

Political coup

The whole thing was a political coup of the first order. Mata’afa and his cabinet had almost 10 years of solid achievement behind them and the enforced lean years of early independence now look ready to give way to an unprecedented era of ex pansion and prosperity.

Among the public there seems to be a fairly general feeling that a change could be a good thing, but underlying the willingness to let the new men prove themselves there is a strong feeling of scepticism about the calibre of some of the new ministers and widespread doubt whether they will remain in power for very long before being brought down by a vote of no confidence.

The new cabinet is quite a mixed bunch, both in ability and sincerity.

Amoa Tausilia a former Speaker and MP with years of experience should have been a minister long ago.

He is now Minister of Education and ideally suited to this post, Tofa Siaosi, at 27 probably the youngest Minister of Finance in the world, was re-elected to parliament in a new constituency against a number of older men. He is sincere, well educated, level-headed and intelligent and with his progressive ideas could succeed beyond expectations in this vitally important post.

Tupuola Efi, back in parliament for a second term after a three year absence, is probably one of the most fluent speakers in the House and is generally expected to do well as Minister of Public Works.

Tuala Paulo, a former Deputy Speaker, and now in his third term as an MP, has shown himself to be an intelligent and valuable member.

Once, as a youth, he served a gaol sentence in Samoa—it was a cele brated case which occurred in the days of NZ colonialism—and how many ex-gaol birds can have ended up as a Minister of Justice? He could be the best Minister of Justice this country has yet seen.

The other ministers will have to prove themselves before they gain public approbation. Asi Leavasa, a former acting Director of Agricul ture, did not render any dramatic improvements there. He is a new member and unfortunately for him is suspect in his rapid rise to cabinet rank as the Prime Minister’s brother in-law.

Fuimaono Moasope, as a NZ qualified accountant, is probably the best educated of the whole cabinet.

He was a sitting member and has acquitted himself well as a member and should handle his portfolio as Minister of Health quite well.

Polataivao Fosi, the new Minister of Lands was returned unopposed by his constituency. While a very active politician, some of his utter ances in the House have given the impression that he is a political opportunist rather than a brilliant intellectual.

Fatiolofa, the new Minister of Post Office and Radio, has not got a reputation for always acting in public with decorum.

All-in-all, the change has been a wholesome exercise in democracy.

And the new cabinet is only too well aware that democracy works both ways. They know that with the House so evenly divided they are walking a tightrope. They can be expected to try and avoid any move that might make them fall off.