Samoan politics

Politics

Say a prayer for Samoan politics

By Chris Peteru

GIVEN Samoans’ devo tion to Jesus Christ, who would have thought the opening of a Prayer House would raise questions over whether the country’s political leaders were satanic, homosexual or worth

taking seriously any longer.

Built like a traditional Samoan meeting house, the US$5OO,OOO complex with seat ing for up to three hundred worshippers, rests on a hillside overlooking the capital Apia. Consistent with the Christian senti ments 74-year-old Tofilau Eti Alesana never tires of sharing, the complex was named “Samoa is founded on God” after the national motto.

The question the public wants answered is why a Prayer House was built in the face of a never-ending shortage of jobs and money. The view that not everyone in gov ernment was keen on the project emerged when Public Works boss Isikuki Punivalu spoke at the opening.

Departing from the standard govern ment line of “we built it, and you love it”, Punivalu raised a few eyebrows by saying the structure was built at “great inconve nience” to his department. Opposition lead er Tupua Tamasese stood up in parliament days later to question the way the tendering process was handled, and how US$5OO,OOO could go on what looked to be a prime min isterial whim.

Now a senior citizen, Alesana wears a pacemaker, and travels overseas frequently for medical check-ups. Tamasese asked whether the Prayer House could be some kind of legacy as the sun begins to set on Alesana’s career and health. The prime minister responded that it was a lot more

sinister than a legacy. He claimed the oppo sition leader was trying to kill him. “I know he is trying to make my heart die,” he stat ed, “only women and homosexuals spread such things”. Not only that, it was clear Tamasese had colluded with the Attorney General over financial details relating to the Prayer House. Concerning the Attorney General, the prime minister said: “if she wants to resign - resign”. As far as he was concerned, people told him the opposition leader was gay. Now here, he claimed, was proof. “He thinks he is smart. He wants to wreck everything the government does.

Satan is not going to win,” said Alesana, who moved a motion that Tupua be sus pended from parliament for a month.

Deputy PM Tuilaepa Malielegaoi explained the tendering was policy, not a law. The contractors were given the job as they had recently finished a similar build ing, a lounge for members of parliament. It was clamed that even if the building had been tendered in the usual manner, the same company would have been chosen.

Interspersed with that explanation, Malielegaoi alleged Tupua had committed incest, was an adulterer, and had threatened to assault the speaker. Responding to the public slandering, Tupua told overseas media, “I am not queer. If you ask people in the queer community here in Apia who know which MPs are queer, they will tell you”.

Through the fracas, he was asked several times by the prime minister and the speak er to apologise. Aware that there was noth ing to apologise for, Tamasese refused to cave in to the level of vulgarity the current administration had patented. His response lead to even more insults. “He is laughing, look the devil is laughing, you are cursed,” complained Alesana before withdrawing

his suspension motion.

Not surprisingly, cabinet reflected the dictatorial stranglehold over them by their two leaders. They made no attempt to restore order to one of the blackest days in Samoan politics. Although finance minister Tuilaepa Malielegaoi tabled funding for the complex in a supplementary budget that was passed, privately a government official questioned the legitimacy of the whole pro cedure. “Everyone knows there are lots of ways to fast-track what the government wants. To keep our jobs, we keep our heads down and do it,” she said.

The lessons from the latest political uproar have become clear to the electorate.

Forget traditional courtesies, Samoa’s power brokers can do whatever they want, while taking odious political behaviour to new heights. There could hardly be another Westminster-style parliament where an opposition leader could be called Satan, a homosexual, a dope smoker, a drunkard, and an adulterer who has committed incest, only to be told to apologise for asking per fectly legitimate questions.

Tamasese has lost the last four general elections. His opposition Samoa National

Development Party sports just eight seats.

While history will mark him down as a political loser, he has shown real courage in facing a government that has singled him out for a nauseating level of personal abuse.

“It is not nice when Tofilau says he is a man of God, but calls people like Tupua those bad things. If he was Christian, he would treat everyone how he would like to be treated - with respect,” says college stu dent Salesa Tui. Perhaps the real symbol ism of the Prayer House is that Samoa’s political leadership needs a large dose of divine guidance urgently. ■