Manatu Faaalia: Taulapapa Tupe Victor Washburn.
FEA UA FAI IAI LE TOFA FETUUTUUNA’I ma le TOFA FATU? TALOFA E, UA NA O LE TOIA O LE VA.
E pei e foliga mai ua faaifo ma peiseai ua amata ona mou malie atu lava le tofa tatala, le tofa ma le utaga mamao ae tainane le faasoa faatamalii.
“Qualities and Virtues of a Statesman…”
O afea ea e faa tagata matua ma faa-mamalu ai manatu faaalia a le taitai o le itu agai?
O upu masani a le atunuu, “E iloa le Samoa moni i lana tu ma lana savali…E iloa foi le matai atamai i lana tofa fetala’i…”
Ua molimau e le mamalu o le atunuu, i ni tusitusiga poo le faaaliga o manatu (Letters to the Editor) a le Taitai o le Itu Agai, ma faasalalauga faalauaitele i le news o vaiaso taitasi.
E lē o afaina la lena itu, aua o le aia tatau a le tagata Samoa e faasoa, ma ia iai le saolotoga e faaali ai manatu poo le tofa, e pei ona puipuia e le Vaega 13 ma le 15 o le Faavae – The Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression. (As long as it’s not defamation e pei ona molia ai nei se tasi o sui faasalalau).
Ae peitai, e le sala upu mai anamua, ma ua masani foi le Samoa i upu nei: “E o’o le vao”…”fua mai fua atu, ma se’i fai fuafua”…”aua le soona naunau i le i’a, ae maimau ai le upega”…
Ae o le a tonu le uiga o lo’u taofi?
O le faamalolo le tumau (suspension until further notice) o le taitai o le Itu Agai, ma le failautusi o le vaega faaupufai a le HRPP mai le Fono Usu poo le Palemene a Samoa, lea ua savali nei le lua masina, sa faapea o le a fotua’i mai ai se taeao fou.
O le a le auga ma le pogai loloto na ala ai ona faatino lenei faasalaga ia i la’ua nei?
Ina ua ta’uleagaina ma aafia ai le tamalii’aga o le Palemene – for bringing the Parliament and Fono Usu o Samoa into disrepute.
Sa faapea la o le a avea ma avanoa, e toe liuliu ai le tofa. Sa maualuga le faamoemoe, mo se taeao fou, ina ia la’ua lagona ai le salamo, ma maua ai se tofa saili, ina ia musumusuina e le Agaga Paia.
Ua faafofoga lava le mamalu o Samoa i le tele o taimi sa ta’ua ai le suafa o le Agaga Paia, i interview faapea foi totonu o le Palemene, ae maise a’o sauni le faigapalota.
Ua molimau foi nisi o faipule, sa i ai se manatu, o le a maua e i la’ua le tofa fatu, ina ia auina mai ai le filemu i o la’ua agaga.
O le filemu foi lena o le a iai i le atunuu.
Ae faanoanoa tele i le tulaga lea ua vaaia. O se leo e alaga solo, peiseai ua asaina ai le fili o le vaosa.
Ua leai se filemu. E foliga mai ua atili ai le ma’a’a o le loto, ma ua faateteleina.
Ua vaaia le feteena’i i totonu o sui mamalu o le vaega faaupufai a le itu agai. Ua leai se tapasa i manatu ma upu, poo tuuaiga i le faiga Malo, ae aunoa ma ni mau, poo ni faamaoniga.
Peisea’i ua le toe felautoa’i le Palemene. A ua felautoa’i le atunuu, talu ai, ua tuufau ma ua leai se tapulaa o upu, tala ma manatu e faaali. Talofa e..
O mamalu a le taitai o le itu agai sa i ai. The integrity and dignity he once possessed. Le tagata sa ave iai le faalagiga, o le Tama O le Atunuu.
So respected was he, the people coined him, The Father of the Nation.
Le fia sefulu tausaga sa tietie ai i le ma’a salafa, ma ua faaeaeaina, ma maualuga ai foi Samoa, ona o lana taitaiga.
A o lenei ua oo mai i le vaitau o lona retirement. O le taimi e malolo ai, ae ono tulai mai ai loa se isi toa, ma se isi taitai, e na te faaauauina le galuega.
Tausi lona ia mamalu, so that he may have his dignity intact, and that the people will remember his good deeds and his great achievements, on his way out.
It will be a lasting legacy, in the minds and memories of his people.
Peitai, Ua leai sona mamalu o totoe. E foliga mai ua mou atu lava, ma fao ese manatu lelei ma leai se tofā.
O upu ua tafili saunoa iai, ua le talafeagai i le faafofoga a le mamalu o le atunuuu.
I se tusituiga i le vaiaso talu ai, sa ia faapea ai o satellite a le Malo, ua toe solomuli ai i tua le atunuu i nei sātelite. Ma maimau ai tupe a le atunuu.
Ae o upu pito sili ona mataga, ma ua aafia ai fua ma matua, o le faapea mai, o le a amata nei ona matamata tamaiti aoga i ata leaga, ma faaaoga upu matuia i le intaneti, talu ai nei mea o satelite.
Ae, e ofo foi ma te’i le mafaufau ina ua toe faapea ane i nai matua.. “Ia lelei…O ane laia outou matua, e molimau kou fagau gale o le a matamata i ata leaga, ma viko mataga, ona ua outou faataga outou fanau e faaaoga satelite a le Malo fou” (or words to that effect).
O le fesili. Ni tala, upu ma manatu ia e fai e se tamalii e i ai sana fanau teine? Ni upu ia e talafo e se tagata, e i ai ni ona tuafafine?
Tui ia la lena itu, aua ua masani lava lenei taitai, e faaaoga upu masoa, ma upu taufaifai, e faamataga ai le isi uso a tagata.
Masalo, e le o salamo foi i lana faasalalauga, sa ia faapea atu ai i tamaitai loia (tulou lava le gagana) ma o latou “bikini”.
Definately that was a shocker. That a man, a matai, a leader, can sit in his office and is able to see all the way to the Supreme Court.. and comment on the size, colour and shape of bikinis worn by female members of the legal fraternity, and say their skirts are too short.
E ofo le mafaufau i lona mafai ona gagana faalauaitele i le mamalu o matua, alo ma fanau o le atunuu, a’o faafofoga, o latou tuafāfine, tuagane ma le itupa o tina.
Ae o le itu tāua e ao ona silafia e matua, o le molimau a le Regulator, o loo iai mea e ta’u o firewall ma security settings e poloka mai ai e le Internet Service Provider mea uma nei o loo pisa ai le taitai o le itu agai.
Ae se’i fesili la, pe na latou polokaina le tele o ata mataga nei, ma viko uma ia, i le taimi a’o taumafai big cables? ae maise le poloketi o le School Net? Auā o le infrastructure lava e tasi. E le faia e se satelite, poo se cable le firewall ma le filtering o unwanted content. O le mea lena e gafa ma le Internet Service Provider or ISP.
Ae, faataatia ese la le itupa o tina, ma bikinis (tulou) a nai loia (vae ane lava outou mamalu).
I le mataupu lava lea i le satelite.
Afai ua faaali manatu faaatugaluga i satelite, o le fesili.
E fia tupe alu a le atunuu i le faiga o Big Cables? Aua o lea ua mautinoa, e oo atu le Malo fou, e lipi ma se intaneti i nuu i tua, poo aoga mamao faapea foi ma aoga tu taulaga?
Lea foi sa molimau le Minisita o Aoga talu ai i totonu o le Palemene, le afioga ia Solamalemalo Keneti Sio (sei tulou le suafa) “Mea na o School Net, ua leva ona outdated..”
Toe faaali foi le isi manatu e faatatau lava i le intaneti, lea sa saunoa ai, “Matua lapopo’a tele ga cables ae toa laiti ē o loo faaogaina.. Big cable, small usage.
O le uiga o le manatu. E faapefea ona faasea ma aamu i le taumafaiga a le kamupani a alo ma fanau a le atunuu, o taumafai e faaaoga iai satelite, ina ia oo ai le intaneti, ma le data i aoga, faapea ma maota o faifeau?
Ua leva foi ona operate isi ISP i totonu o Samoa i ni tausaga se tele, ma manuia mai tagatanuu o Samoa ma konakarate a le Malo – ae o lea ua iloa nei, e leai lava ma se intaneti o oo i le tele o faleaoga, ma falesa, ae maise nuu e mamao mai le taulaga.
Fea la le accountability ma le transparency lea e pesepese ai, ma faasea ai i le faiga Malo fou?
O le vaiaso talu ai, na faailoa ai e le afioga ia Papalii Panoa Moala, o le sa avea ma Pule Sili o le NPF, i le vaitau o le 2001 – 2007.
O le molimau a Panoa lea ua fai mai o loo iai ana faamaumauga.. sa molimana’o lē sa avea ma Palemia (Tuilaepa) e faaoga fanua o le NPF, e fai ai prizes o le lulu poo le raffle a le Ekalesia i Siusega.
Ina nei umi ae faapuupuu atu.
Molimau Papalii Panoa, na tuli ese na ia mai le tofi CEO, e le iloa lava pe na toe totogi e le Palemia ia fanua sa pasia e le Board e tuuina atu.
Ae ua ala ona ou ta’ua lea tala, ma lea tulaga, ona o se faamatalaga a le taitai o le itu agai, i se polokalame letio i le aso Sapati ua mavae nei, aso 10 July 2022.
Ina ua fesiligia e le letio le malaga atu o le failautusi a le HRPP i Niu Sila, na tali ai le toeaina, “O le failautusi, la e malaga i Niu Sila e faasauni le faatalatalanoaga, ma le organisation o se lulu e fai i Niu Sila, faapea foi Ausetalia.. O lea lulu, o le a faatau atu i le lautele, ma o loo sauni le vaega faaupufai mo le faiga o prizes o le lulu. Ua amata ona faatalanoa, o se fanua, a lē o Aleisa, poo Moamoa, o le Prize lena.
The question is, as Papalii goes on air to say NPF acres of land were used by then Prime Minister as prizes for his church raffle, there is discussion about an HRPP raffle to be sold in New Zealand and Australia, whereby the prize will be land back in Samoa. Odd and baffling to say the least.
Ia, talosia, ia manuia lena faamoemoe. Ae tatou talia foi poo ai o la’ua ma Papalii o loo iai le moni ma le faamaoni o lenei mataupu, aua o lea ua faapea mai, o le Faamasinoga lava e fo’ia ai le felautoa’i ma le feteenai o manatu o lenei mataupu.
I can tell you now my cards are stacked on the side of Papalii. Not that it matters, but when Papalii reveals a matter of public interest that occured around the period 2005-2007, involving lands of the NPF, and his opponent takes the listeners back to 1983 as a way to obfuscate the real issues in discussion, (a technique well mastered by the old man) I think the writing is on the wall.
E manaia lava le saunoa pea o le taitai a le itu agai, i ni mataupu o lava ai lona malamalama, pei ona faailoa atu i luga, e uiga i mea o satelite, ma cables.
But then again ou te le faitio foi i le taitai o le itu agai.
Aua foi, e talitonu le auauna, e le o le toeaina lea e ana tusitusiga nei. E talitonu lava, o loo iai le au faufautua o loo latou faaupuina nei tusitusiga mo le toeaina.
So I guess, we can’t fully blame the leader of the opposition. It may be his opinion. But it certainly does not seem like it’s his writing.
And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to decypher and figure out, that the leader of the opposition, does not write, let alone speak in this style of prose.
Ina ne’i umi le faasoa ma le tuuina atu o manatu a le auauna. Ae sei ou oo mai i le mamalu o le vaega faaupufai a le itu agai.
Ua amata ona molimau nisi, i le gugulu ma le feteena’i o isi sui o le vaega faaupufai.
Na faailoa foi e se tasi o sui, e uma lava le fono lea sa usuia ma pasia ai le tala o le tupe, e le’i auai atu lava sui mamalu o Sepulona Alaiasa Moananu, faapea Sala Pinati, (sei tulou paia ma mamalu o suafa).
O lea foi ua maua tala, ua le toe iai le afioga ia Ale Vena Ale i le vaega faaupufai, ma ua faasoa foi le finagalo o lea tamalii o le atunuu, ua tatau ona faamavae loa le latou taitai, ae sui tulaga mai se tamalii ma se taitai fou, e tau’aveina le galuega.
O lou talitonuga, o le tele o sui mamalu o le vaega faaupufai, ua amata ona feala mai pei o le sanisani faamanuao o manu felelei, i le susulu mai o le malamalama, ma aoina ai e sa pogisa.
O le fesili. Po ua tatou molimauina ea le fotua’i mai o se taeao fou i le vaega faaupufai e puipuia aia tatau a tagata?
Are we seeing a shift in conciousness? A transcendent of free thought and thinking amongst members of the party led the nation and dominated samoan politics for decades?
Once upon a time, they were silenced. Once upon a time there was fear, when everyone was in awe due to the immense power, authority and influence held by their leader.
Atonu, o se itu leaga lena o le umi tele o avea se tagata e toatasi ma ta’ita’i, ma tuu e pule i mea e tetele mo le fia sefulu tausaga.
Aua e taunuu ai le isi muagagana faaperetania.
“You are a part and parcel, of your past conditioning..”
E le tau faailo le aano o lea fuaitau. Ae tau lava ina ia tatou toe to manatu i le tula’i faafuase’i o le latou taitai, e faasagatau ma tali atu i le sui o Lotofaga, Le Afioga i le Sao Faapito, a’o latou folau i le vaa e tasi.
Ina ua faamaulalo mai i ai le Sao Faapito i se leo agamalu, ma le leo o le tagata alofa moni, e iai le tofa ma le faautaga, e tumu i le faaaloalo, sa fesiligia ai pe aisea ua gagana ai le taitai (Tuilaepa) poo le uiga o lana tala, o ia o le tiapolo? (Sao Faapito).
Ae talofa e.
E lei gata ai i ina. Ae sa liliu mai i isi sui tofia uma o le vaega faaupufai ma tuuina mai le warning.. “Afai e i ai se isi o outou, e i ai manatu faapea, na ua outou iloa le mea e fai!”
Leai lava ma se leo o se isi lava tagata i lena aso. Leai lava ma se tala. Aisea?
I believe it is because of a culture that was established over a period of 30 years.. where members had been conditioned, or even brainwashed, that when their king rises. DO NOT SPEAK. Or there will be consequences because his wrath will be as big as his ego, and you will feel the heat.
I guess, the term “if you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen”, was so more relevant at that poignant moment in the history of Samoa’s Parliament. But I digress.
“Afai kou ke le usika’i mai i le mea lea ou ke fai aku ai….ga ua kou iloa le mea e kakau oga fai..”
Kusa ua taufaafefe ma taufaamatau i nai sui mamalu ma sui na tofia e itumalo o le atunuu.
But what was more damaging and dispicable to the viewers, ae maise le tupulaga fai a’e o loo moe manatunatu e avea i latou ma faipule i le lumanai – :
It was bad enough to hear the words, being spoken, with a trembling vocal tone. But to witness the body language, the tonality of his voice and the demeaning angry facial expression, of a man, who at that moment, in his own mindset, the most powerful Pacific Island Leader in the region’s history, and the most feared politician in Samoa, with a grip of power, to instil fear amongst his party followers.
E ala ona fai lau tala, because that is unheard of and probably would never have happened if Tuilaepa was present in Parliament.
Ua uma atu aso sa molimau ai uiga, ma amioga, poo upu talafo solo, sa avea ma tulaga e tau ma felautoa’i ai le Palemene, i le tele o taimi.
Since Tuilaepa has been suspended, there has been a change in the Fono Usu. Listening to the voices of party members, it’s like a massive burden has been removed. Like there is noone there to monitor and influence their freedom of thought.
The fact that in this day and age, where a new dawn has broken, a new government is in power and a new leader has brought decency, respect and honour to the people’s House of Parliament; Members of Parliament seem to be free.
The fact that a member of the HRPP party can confidently and politely ask their leader to step down (Ale Vena Ale). The fact that an MP has the courage to speak her mind and scold one of their leaders and long terrm politicians. Those are a testament, to the new morning ma le taeao fou, lea ua fotua’i mai.
O se faafetai foi lea ma le faamalo i sui mamalu o le atunuu, o le itu agai.
O le lelei lena o soalaupulega i le Palemene ma le Fono Usu a Samoa. Pe a mafai ona free le tuuina mai o finagalo faaalia a sui mamalu uma o le itu agai. Ua mafai foi ona saunoa sui mamalu o le itu agai, e lagolago polokalame a le Malo pe afai na te iloa e manuia ai le atunuu ae maise lona itumalo. E le faapea a itu agai, ona disagree lea i soo se mea lava e fai e le Malo.
Ae talitonu, o le toatele o sui mamalu o le atunuu, ua talia ma lagolago i galuega fai a le faiga Malo fou.
And in the words of Hon Laaulialemalietoa.. “O lalo lava e saili ai Malo.”
Ma ou te talitonu ua alu ifo le conciousness fou, ma le faatofalaiga mamalu i sui mamalu o le itu agai. Ua saoloto foi ma ua le toe noatoatia o latou finagalo.
And when you are free, You are able to achieve the same goals, aua se lumanai manuia o le atunuu.
O le Palemene ma le Fono Usu i Tiafau, o le Palemene ma le Fono usu a tagatanuu uma o Samoa. A fealofani le Palemene, o le fiafiaga foi lena ma le filemu lena o tagatanuu uma o Samoa.
O le viiga foi lena o le Tatou Matai Sili o i le Lagi. Auā se lumanai manuia mo le tatou atunuu pele.
Sa faai’u le saunoaga a Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, i lana faatalanoaga ma le Maota o Viiga, e faatatau i le Taitaifono a le faiga Malo fou.
“E le fia malamalama…ua faapogisaina i le loto e le lelei….”
Ae e iai le talitonuga, ua faagaganaina e Le Atua.
Aua, o le tele o upu ua ia gaganaina, e matuai talafeagai lava mo ia lava ia.
E le valea Le Atua. Lele ua tino mai galuega lelei a le Afioga i le Minisita.
And the only thing left for the leader of the opposition, aua ua leai sona mamalu o totoe, are his memories.
Atonu o le mea foi lena e fiafia ai e talanoa i lona history. Because he is no longer relevant to the current climate and the new generation.
Faafetai i le Tamaitai Palemia ma le Afioga i le Taitaifono, i le la’ua lē amanaiaina.
I guess, the PM and Minister are too busy building a better future for Samoa.
May God Bless the New Government.
May God Bless all our Parliamentarians.
Manuia foi Samoa i Le Alofa o Le Atua.
Soifua
Taulapapa Tupe Victor Washburn.
