When a person holds public office, transparency is an obligation, not a choice, said former Prime Minister and leader of the Samoa Uniting Party Fiame Naomi Mataafa.

She made the statement in response to Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt’s ban on the Samoa Observer from his press conferences.

Fiame said the ban was a clear attempt to silence scrutiny and a serious decline in Samoa’s democratic standards. She warned that democracy weakens not through a single dramatic event, but through a series of actions that slowly erode transparency and silence independent voices.

Fiame said the banning of a major newspaper cannot be viewed as a simple administrative decision.

She said it is an act that strikes at the heart of media freedom, a right that allows the public to understand and question those who hold power. She reflected on her own time as Prime Minister, noting that no journalist or media organisation was ever shut out, regardless of how challenging their questions were. She said leadership requires openness, accountability, and the ability to face criticism without fear or restriction.

“The Samoa Uniting Party also raises deep concern about the prolonged absence of the Prime Minister from the country. The lack of formal communication about his whereabouts, well-being or capacity is unacceptable, stressing that Samoans deserve to know the condition and availability of their national leader,” said Fiame.

Fiame also addressed the troubling rise in online hostility directed at the Samoa Observer, including reports of inflammatory comments made through electronic platforms by the owner of Talamua.

She said this behaviour is a sad reflection of the state of public discourse and is dangerous for Samoa. According to Fiame, when journalists become targets of intimidation or hostile commentary, it reveals a culture in decline and undermines the values that protect everyone’s freedom.

“Disagreement is normal, but inciting hostility towards the press is unacceptable and should be condemned by all responsible leaders,” Fiame said.

She warned that these trends, taken together, place Samoa at risk of moving towards practices more commonly seen in authoritarian systems where the press is limited, information is withheld, and criticism is discouraged.