Ua tuuina mai le faaiuga a le Faamasinoga Maualuga e faaleaogaina ai le faasalaga a le Palemene o Samoa lea sa faamalolo ai Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi ma Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi ia Oketopa 2022, mo le lua tausaga.
I le fofogaina o lenei mataupu e le afioga i le Faamasino Sili ia Satiu Simativa Perese, na ave ai le faataua a le Faamasinoga i le Vaega (44) 1 o le Faavae o Samoa, lea e faamautu mai ai, le tatau lea ona tofu Itumalo e 51 o Samoa, ma sona sao i totonu o le Palemene o Samoa, e ala atu lea i Sui Faipule filifilia.
O le faaiuga a le Faamasinoga, e lē faitioina le tuuina mai o faasalaga e faatulai ese ai Sui Faipule mai le Palemene i lea taimi ma lea taimi.
Ae o le mau a le Faamasinoga, e lē tatau ona tuuina mai ni faasalaga e aafia ai faiga faavae faatemokarasi ma faigamalo lelei, ae maise o le taofia ai lea o leo o Itumalo e pei ona aafia ai Lepa ma Faleata 3.
“Does, this mean that a member can never be suspended? Obviously not, each case turns on its merits. However, suspensions must not deny Parliament of effective representation from electoral constituencies, and or the voice of the people of those electoral constituencies. Such denial is also a denial of the democratic system of representative and responsible government established in the Constitution.”
O le isi vaega o le faaiuga, ua poloaina ai e le Faamasinoga le toe faafoi o faamanuiaga tau totogi o Sui Faipule, e amata mai le taimi na faamalolo ai ia Oketopa 2022, e oo mai i le taimi nei.
I fafo o le potu faamasino sa faaali ai se finagalo o le Failautusi o le vaega faaupufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata, na saunoa ai Lealailepule, “o le manumalo mai Le Atua, ma o le mea amiotonu ua faaalia i le aso lenei”.
Na faafetaia e Lealailepule le tapuaiga a le atunuu i Samoa nei faapea atunuu mamao. Ae maise o uo ma aiga, faapea i latou o loo lagolagoina le HRPP.
O alii loia sa la tauaveina le itu a Tuilaepa ma Lealailepule lea ua manumalo i le asō, o lē sa fai ma Loia Sili Lagolago (former Assistant Attorney General) Fuimaono Sefo Ainuu, ma lē sa avea ma Komesina o Faigapalota, Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio.
O Me o le tausaga 2022 sa tuuina mai ai se faaiuga a le Palemene e faatulaiese Tuilaepa ma Lealailepule mo se taimi le tumau (suspend indefinitely). Sa sulu atu Sui Faipule e iloilo lea faaiuga i luma o le Faamasinoga.
O Aokuso 2022 sa faaleaogaina ai e le Faamasinoga Maualuga lea faaiuga peitai, e le’i atoatoa lea faaiuga ona e le’i tuuina mai se finagalo o le Faamasinoga i le umi o le faasalaga sa tuuina mai.
Sa toe iloilo e le Komiti Faapitoa a le Palemene le faasalaga ma tuuina mai ai loa le latou fautuaga e faatulai ese (suspend) Sui Faipule mo le lua tausaga, ae leai foi ni totogi e la te mauaina. Sa talia e le Palemene o Samoa lea fautuaga i le masina o Oketopa 2022, lea ua toe faaleaogaina foi e le Faamasinoga i le asō.
E tutoatasi le Palemene o Samoa mai le lālā o le Faamasinoga, sei vagana ai ua latou faia ni faaiuga e aafia ai aia tatau o loo tuuina mai i le Faavae o Samoa.
CONCLUSIONS
108. For the foregoing reasons:
a. We find that Legislative Assembly’s suspension of the First and Second Applicants for two years breaches article 44(1) of the Constitution and the framework of Samoa’s Constitution of responsible and representative government and the suspensions are therefore void;
b. In the light of the decision above in a., the Applicants are entitled to be paid their remuneration and the allowances that were withheld on account of the terms of the suspensions. Given our decision, our discussion on the Applicants’ third claim is obiter and offered to provide clarification of the legal position on the effect of a suspension on an MP’s remuneration and allowances.
c. SO 187(7)(iii) – 187(7)(v) inclusive breach article 13 of the Constitution therefore also declare them to be void; and
d. As to costs, the First and Second Applicants are to file Memoranda as to costs within 14 days. The First and Second Respondents to file Memoranda as to Costs in response within a further 14 days.
