firm majority

Western Samoa

Alesana’s firm majority

Western Samoa’s prime minister Tofilau Eti Alesana says he still has a firm majority in the country’s parliament. This follows overseas media reports that the defection of some government members of parliament has given a majority to the

opposition.

Alesana says he has the support of 29 members of the 49-member assembly. He says reports to the contrary should not be believed.

The opposition leader Tupua Tamasese has also told Radio New Zealand that the government still has a majority. ***

Miller

quits

The president of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), Monica Miller, has resigned as the editor of Samoa News. Miller has cited difference over the compromise of journalistic standards and integrity with the publisher Lewis Wolman as the main reason for her resignation.

Miller says Wolmarte reversal of her decision to remove a senior reporter from the newsroom on ethical grounds has pressed her to quit the top Samoa News post. She said if she is to be faithful to ethical standards in journalism there is nc where to go but out of the newspaper.

Miller was appointed as Samoa News editor in December 1992 after reporting for radio, television and newspaper since 1976.