Political disasters and facts about the Constitution of Samoa. Part III

Dear Editor,

On the 10th of January 2018 at nighttime at Apollo Cinemas, the Samoa Observer and the International Press Institute (I.P.I.) came together to host the celebration of the freedom of the press and heroes of the press like Savea Sano Malifa of Samoa and other nominated journalists around the world.

The special event was celebrated with the special premier of Stephen Spielberg’s movie, The Post. The movie shows details of Katherine Graham’s struggles as the Publisher of The Washington Post during the Watergate Scandal. 

Every thing about the special event on that night was very significant because of the two following reasons.

The first reason is about the important message from the movie about the struggle of journalists in the heart of politics to find out the truth, to raise the truth and to keep the truth alive in order to save the country from unclean politics and dangerous politicians.

Through the power of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, it gave journalists an important responsibility to do for the country and the legal authority to go around at every corner of the issue to search for facts and verifications of the truth. As a consequence, their hard work was paid off and rewarded with success. 

The second reason is about the relevance of the special event on that night to the political issues Samoa is facing right now.

That is, the special event of that night was occurred at the right time in our country while the media in our country is also struggling to figure out the truth about what went wrong with the government of Samoa regarding a lot of different confusions in our government and a lot of unnecessary changes about the laws of our country including the Supreme Law of Samoa, the Constitution of Samoa.

Apart from the media, the people of Samoa like me and other Church members of the Methodist Church, E.F.K.S. (C.C.C.S.) and other denominations are also struggling like the media because of the same sad situation.

We have been directly affected by the pain of some unnecessary changes that have been already applied to the Constitution of our country. 

As explained in part I and part II of this very important long discussion, the unnecessary changes that have been already applied to the Constitution of our country (Constitution of Samoa) or (The Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa) are all consequences of the political scandal by the Prime Minister and the H.R.P.P. party. In other words, those unnecessary changes are un-Constitutional. There are more to be explained about those situations later.

Therefore, according to the facts and evidences as explained in part I and part II of this discussion, the combination of the dictative behavior of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister’s interpretations of the Constitution and the establishing of an un-Christian tax law is the main confirmation of the political scandal in our Parliament and in our government that we are suffering under.  

In contrast if we compare the direct impact of the two political scandals on the people of the two countries, there is a big difference. The people of the United States back then at the time of the Watergate Scandal were lucky because they did not affect directly by the scandal.

That means the Watergate Scandal according to its intentions and its objectives; it was a plan by one political party to undermine the other. Not only that but also, it was not about a dictative behavior of a leader or about a party’s political plan with an aim of avoiding people’s rights and the people’s voice with intentional misleading informations so that the party can manipulate the country’s Constitution in order to establish un-Constitutional Acts as a way to achieve goals of the party’s agenda. 

In addition, the people of the United States at the time of the Watergate Scandal were also lucky because of the other important situation that is different from the situation about the direct impact of the political scandal.

That other situation is the rise up of the government against the political scandal, does all its best under the law and does the right thing for the country. As soon as the government found out about the incident, the government responded immediately by taking all necessary actions to handle the incident.

The media was involved, investigations took place and justice was served.

As a result, everyone involved in the political scandal were held accountable for their actions. Also, the impact of that situation has led to Nixon’s resignation from government. Nixon made the right and the best decision for his country. 

On the other side of the equation, it is all about no luck. The people of our country are not as lucky as the people of the United States because the political scandal in our Parliament and in our government is about a handful of intentional wrong doings (as explained in part 1 and part 2 of this discussion) that was thrown directly to the faces of all the people of Samoa.

In other words, the political scandal in our Parliament and in our government is about the dictative behavior of the Prime Minister and the H.R.P.P’s plan with an aim of avoiding of our people’s rights and our people’s voice with intentional misleading information about the Constitution so that the H.R.P.P can manipulate our country’s Constitution in order to establish un-Constitutional Acts as a way of achieving goals of the H.R.P.P’s agenda and in order to cover up their crime so that the whole situation can appear as a perfect agenda and as a clean accomplishment to the people of our country. 

The whole situation about the political scandal in our Parliament and in our government, it began from the Prime Minister’s aim to correct the Constitution as reported as news by Samoa Observer on 30 May 2016 (P.M. aims to “correct” Constitution) “Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has reaffirmed his views on a Constitution amendment to ink that Christianity is the official church of Samoa.

In his weekly talkback show with radio 2AP, Tuilaepa emphasised the need to correct an error he claims was made by foreigners in the Constitution. “That is the only amendment to the Constitution,” he explained. “To correct what the papalagi did. Our forebears wanted that inserted in the body of the Constitution.

The preamble is not important but inside the body of the Constitution, it should have these words inserted that Samoa is founded on Christian principles and values period to make it very clear.”    

Tuilaepa reiterated that those words are not identified in the body of the Constitution where they should be. “That is why I’m saying that will be corrected; to insert those words in the body of the Constitution,” he said.” 

 “…Tuilaepa recalled that in the past, the elders wanted to insert the changes in the Constitution but “the papalagi told them not to as it would be too wordy and that there was no extremism then.”

After the public announcement of the Prime Minister’s aim to correct the Constitution, only a few did not agree. The majority supports the Prime Minister’s aim because the message about Christianity as the official religion of Samoa to the majority of Christians is a step to the right direction.

As a result, no one bothers the situation of taking other points of view of the Prime Minister very seriously. That’s how serious of the people’s support for the Prime Minister. I was on the same side; the side of the majority.

I gave it my full support because of the same reason. The message about Christianity as the official religion of Samoa was very convincing because that message to me is a great improvement in Christianity in our own country.

Apart from that, the other reason that I gave my full support to that situation because I thought at that time, the Prime Minister’s aim is a solid proof of the Prime Minister’s commitment to Christianity. I did not aware about the real intention behind the Prime Minister’s aim to correct the Constitution at that time.  

However, I believe, some of the people of the minority who did not agree about the Prime Minister’s aim to correct the Constitution, they were already aware about the truth and the untruth of the Prime Minister’s aim to correct the Constitution.

Because it takes time to fulfil the truth of the Prime Minister’s points of view about his aim to correct the Constitution, they wait until the outcome is revealed at the end.

Therefore, the Prime Minister’s points of view must be consistent with the outcome. That is the good news for me. Even though that I was supporting the Prime Minister’s aim in the beginning, I can still change my decision at the end based on the outcome. Therefore the Prime Minister cannot get away from the untruth when the outcome is revealed. 

As you have already aware about Mr. Editor, the proof of the outcome is already revealed. According to the wrong claims by the Prime Minister, the preamble is not important. It is not legal in the court. His wrong claims became legal in our Parliament and in our government.

It affects remarks about the acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty, the declaration of Samoa’s Independence and the foundation of Samoa. If the preamble is not important and not legal in the Court, that’s how and why they established the new un-Christian tax law.

The oath as laid out in the Constitution is also affected. According to the Minister of Revenue, once he took the oath, he automatically has the authority over God in order to tax Church Ministers earnings.

The Prime Minister was following the same code. When Churches such as the Methodist and E.F.K.S rejected their un-Christian laws, they denied them. They didn’t even follow the proper relationship between government and the National Council of Churches for consultations. Even the Bibles that are available everywhere in our country, they abandoned them as well.

They put out the truth about tithe and sacred inheritances to the public as a political matter or as an option to be voted. Not only that but also, they have already organized penalties like imprisonment and others to colonized Church Ministers and to enforced Churches about their un-Christian and un-Constitutional tax law.  

The Prime Minister’s opinions regarding the Constitutional Amendment about Christianity were not consistent with the outcome. There is a lot more about that situation. There are lots of unnecessary things emerged from that situation.

That’s the turning point that turned me away from my initial thoughts and took me on a journey back to where it all starts. This time, I took all the Prime Minister’s points of views very seriously.

It didn’t take me too much time to figure out the counterfeit from the Prime Minister’s points of view. But unfortunately, I did not sense that situation at all before because I trusts the Prime Minister and the H.R.P.P too much based on there capabilities, the old loyalty to Christianity and the accomplishments they have already achieved for the country.

However, when the truth reveals in the end, it changes my whole perspective of the Prime Minister and the H.R.P.P party. Right now, I am discussing the truth about them with you Mr. Editor. The people of our country deserve the truth.

The errors according to Tuilaepa’s points of view are:

(1) No words in the body of the Constitution about Christianity as the official religion of Samoa.

(2) The words such as Christian principles on the preamble of the Constitution should not be there at all because the preamble is not important.

(3) The preamble is not important but inside the body of the Constitution.

(4) The foreigners (papalagi) are responsible for the errors. “Tuilaepa recalled that in the past, the elders wanted to insert the changes in the Constitution but “the papalagi told them not to as it would be too wordy and that there was no extremism then.”

The main problem right here about the Prime Minister’s points of view is that the Prime Minister did not provide any evidences to confirm his points of view and for the public’s information.

We have already aware of the fact Mr. Editor that our Prime Minister is a highly qualified person. Apart from that, he is also a Christian Prime Minister and his country is a Christian country. So he already knew, he is dealing with a Christian country.

He is dealing with the people of love and faith who understand well about Christian principles according to the truth, the Bible. We understand well about the God that we are worshiping and served. That is the only reason why we know how to distinguish the truth from counterfeit.

Therefore, if the Prime Minister did not provide any evidences to support his claims about his aim to correct the Constitution, then he should be prepared well to handle different reactions from the public and make a right decision for his country when his points of views are not consistent with the right outcome. 

According to the new face of the Constitution of our country, Samoa is no longer an Independent State that our fore-fathers and our founding fathers have fought for because the declaration of Samoa’s Independent is no longer exists anymore.

It was already repealed by H.R.P.P from the preamble, reformed by H.R.P.P into H.R.P.P’s own version and then placed it within the body of the section that is referring to as the section of principles and provisions that can be amended or repealed by an Act of Parliament.

Samoa Observer 26 January 2017 (Parliament backs Samoa being declared Christian state) “With the amendment, Tuilaepa said Christianity will no longer be at the Cover or the preamble of the Constitution. Rather it will become an integral part of the body of the Constitution. “The phrase “Samoa is founded on God” will no longer be used. Instead, under the Constitution, it will be, “Samoa is a Christian nation founded of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

The most popular issue in the Prime Minister’s claims is about the “preamble”. Samoa Observer 21 May 2016 (P.M. pushes ahead with Constitution amendment) “Looking at the Constitution as it stands today, Tuilaepa said the preamble only talks about Christianity and Samoan traditions but that carries no weight.” Samoa Observer 30 May 2016 (P.M. aims to “correct” Constitution) ““To correct what the papalagi did.

Our forebears wanted that inserted in the body of the Constitution. The preamble is not important but inside the body of the Constitution, it should have these words inserted that Samoa is founded on Christian principles and values period to make it very clear.”

” Samoa Observer 26 January 2017 (Parliament backs Samoa being declared Christian state) “With the amendment, Tuilaepa said Christianity will no longer be at the Cover or the preamble of the Constitution. Rather it will become an integral part of the body of the Constitution.

“The phrase “Samoa is founded on God” will no longer be used. Instead, under the Constitution, it will be, “Samoa is a Christian nation founded of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Samoa Observer 09 June 2017 (Freedom of religion not threatened: A.G.) “When the Bill was introduced, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said the Constitution’s reference to Christianity was only in the Preamble. This was inadequate, he said.

“Inadequate in terms of how Samoa as a Christian State is not included in the body of the Constitution. Instead it is in the cover and the preamble of the Constitution, not within the body of the Constitution. “This shows that it is not part of the Constitution. This does not stand in Court as it is not included in the body of the Constitution.”” 

If the main correction according to Tuilaepa’s aim to correct the Constitution is just about the declaring of Christianity as the official religion of Samoa in the Constitution, then what is the point of all his wrong claims about the preamble?

Why change the legal meaning, the original meaning and the important meaning of the preamble because of the simple amendment of declaring of Christianity as the official religion of Samoa in the Constitution?

If it is about that simple amendment then the opinions or claims about that simple amendment should be free from blaming game, insulting game and confusing game. Why blame the papalagi for that particular matter?

Why confuse the legal meaning and the important purposes of the preamble with assumptions? In order for the Prime Minister to play the blaming game and the confusing game he must follow the right process. Show us the evidences about the blames and some words from the founding fathers (Constitutional Convention) to prove his claims about the preamble?    

The only type of person who can add those kinds of opinions or unreasonable claims to the facts is a hypocrite.  It was a huge effort for an attempting to convince the people of our country because it was a behavior coming out of fear because it was intentional.

I believe, the Prime Minister was comfortable about that situation because he already aware of the fact that the majority of Samoa trusts him 100% because of his capabilities, his commitment to Christianity and his achievements.

He is well respected. Apart from that, I also believe that the other reason why the Prime Minister was also comfortable about that situation is because of his power as the Prime Minister. He took those situations as an advantage to mislead the country in order to accomplish the goals of the H.R.P.P’s agenda. 

The next part of this discussion, will be focusing mainly on the structure and the analysis of the Constitution.

 

Faafetai,

Nanai Malonuu Lealaiauloto Nofoaiga

Samoa Observer

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