Showdown in Apia

Western Samoa

By Alan Ah Mu

FOR a few days in June, the startling possibility of a break-up of the Human

Rights Protection Party government

hovered in Parliament.

Previously the party was anything but vulnerable, enjoying a big majority and

being able to push through heatedly

opposed legislations without any trouble.

Deputy Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi could even afford to joke he had “33 and a half’ MPs in the 49-seat parliament. And the HRPP was well organised : weekly caucus meetings at new party headquarters, weekly media conferences and a discipline that saw Tuilaepa postpone a press conference mid-way in order to be in Parliament on time because lateness was penalised.

But when the 1993/94 budget was before Parliament, Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana confirmed that three MPs had been expelled from the HRPP, and blamed this on the tactics ofTuiatua Tupua Tamasese, leader of the Samoa National Development Party, the main opposition. The three were in the Public Accounts Committee which Tofilau then attacked. MPs had just asked for phones, cattle and a counsellor for overseas students but the committee was recom mending cutting back on budgetary funds, he said. He accused the committee of not consulting with him and getting carried away with the power of their

positions.

Further displaying a need to gather support, he said parliament should work together for victory for Samoa. His offer to reign (made last year) because of differences within the party and “incom plete strength” had been turned down, but attempts were still being made to “shake” the government when it was engaged in projects beneficial to the country.

Tuiatua denied trying to sign up government MPs but said motions of no confidence occurred world-wide and weren’t bad things.

Tofilau defended controversial gov ernment actions and “inaction” which is supposed to be causing discontent within the HRPP and is a target for the Opposition. He said amenities like piped water and electricity took time to provide which was why parliament’s term was extended (from three) to five years. He asked how GST (approved by parlia ment to be introduced next year) could be said to enslave people when it would

lift the burden off the few (19,000) wage earners now paying all the taxes?

Two days later the PM renewed his attack on the Public Accounts Commit tee saying a phone call informing him that its report on budget cuts was completed, did not constitute consulta tion as required by parliamentary rules and democracy. Cuts would mean a rejection of him as leader and if any of these were approved, he would resign, he said.

The impression that Tofilau was under pressure from a possible split in his party over the budget was strengthened by an outburst in parliament that stunned many.

When Tuiatua said the committee was a parliamentary one and not govern ment’s, the PM interpreted that as being in defence of the committee and proof that Tuiatua had initiated the recom mended cuts.

Tuiatua tried to dispute the accusation amid objections by the Speaker of the House, complicated by the PM’s angry interjections. The combatants sat down, but Tofilau boomed, “Prostitute”.

“Thief,” replied Tuiatua, “Prostitute,” repeated Tofilau.

“Thief.”

“Prostitute,” said the PM.

“Prostitute,” said TUIATUA, also, ...

“Let’s go outside.”

“Why should we go outside,” asked the PM, adding, “How many girls have given birth because of you?”

Tuiatua : “What about you?”

The Speaker called a recess half an hour early; radio coverage was stopped as the exchanges unfolded; a radio technician said in 10 years of working in Parliament, nothing like this had ever occurred.

When Parliament reassembled that night, the public gallery was full, but no further drama eventuated. Still there was suspense the next day as the first budget cut came up for debate. Public Accounts Committee chairman Sifuiva Sione ar gued that WSS 106,522 be cut from diplomatic posts in New Zealand and the consulate be closed for one thing, staff did not do any work, instead spending most of their time talking and reading.

The PM disagreed in a long reply and

was joined by three MPs and five others who were HRPP members, but as committee members were expected to vote for their own recommendations.

This would have the Opposition winning by five votes given that a government MP had died and a Cabinet minister was overseas.

But the government of the day pre vailed when three committee members voted with it, one of them saying the committee had been “one” on the cuts, but hadn’t heard the government’s views until now.

The PM said committee members who voted for other cuts should leave the HRPP because members had signed pledges, the nature of which, he implied, was to support government decisions.

But he made a conciliatory speech to Sifuiva, who, one by one, withdrew motions on major project cuts saying, “There’s nothing amiss in our side,” and blaming non-consultation for what had happened. One Opposition MP com plained the HRPP was holding a party meeting in Parliament.

The PM’s anger seemed to have stemmed from being caught unawares of the threat to projects he believed in coupled with the possibility of a loss of support.

The exiled MPs’ press conference to “expose” the reasons for their exit has yet to eventuate, but the Opposition are excited by their expulsion. One SNDP MP described it as a “major develop ment”. He counted 13 SNDP supporters and three independents, which gives the Opposition a total of 19 MPs, and predicted the HRPP would break apart next year at the latest.

One government backbencher said, “Everyone (in the HRPP) wants to be Prime Minister.” Tuiatua promised a rare press conference after the former HRPP MPs have held theirs. He main tains that nobody knows how many are in his camp and claims Tofilau does not know how many HRPP supporters he has either, especially now when things are “volatile”.

No doubt he hopes for more supporters but whether or not he gets them is the guessing game political watchers are

playing now.

Tofilau: still striding tall, but for how long?