The Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) Secretary has expressed support for his party leader and questioned the rationale behind the Speaker publicly releasing a “private and personal letter”.

The Faleata No. 3 M.P. Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi told the Samoa Observer that the party’s membership was shocked at the recent decision by the Parliament Speaker, Papalii Lio Masipau to publicise his response to the H.R.P.P. leader and Opposition Leader,  Tuilaepa Dr. Sa'ilele Malielegaoi on Facebook. 

"We were all shocked since our leader's letter was addressed directly to him (Speaker)," Leala said. "It's funny that he chose to publish his response to a private and personal letter on Facebook for everyone to see, as if he was trying to show off how much power he now holds.

"But Tuilaepa's letter is quite clear and very straightforward and I agree with the concern he raised.

"It is a fair point to raise and we do need to question whether the Chairman of that Committee, who is also the Deputy Speaker, is being independent as there is a clear conflict of interest there.”

Tuilaepa wrote to the House Speaker in a letter dated 9 March 2022 questioning the impartiality of the Deputy Speaker, Auapaau Mulipola Aloitafua, whom the former prime minister claimed was a vocal critic of the Land and Titles Court Bills in 2020 prior to their enactment by parliament and therefore has a conflict of interest.

The veteran politician urged the Speaker to remove Auapaau as the Chairman of a Special Parliamentary Committee that is tasked to ascertain why there were four different versions of one of the LTC Acts.

Leala told this newspaper that they supported the position of their party leader, claiming his concerns about Auapaau’s alleged conflict of interest were valid.

“The Deputy Speaker made his stance on those legislations very clear during those consultations we had, which clearly showed that he was against those laws,” Leala said in an interview. "That's why it was appropriate to ask the question whether the Speaker was aware that the Deputy Speaker had made submissions against the passage of these Acts back in 2020."

Leala added that they (H.R.P.P.) were not aware when the Deputy Speaker was appointed to Chair the Special Parliamentary Committee, and he is of the view that Auapa'au should have declared his "conflict of interest" when was first appointed.

"An honest person would opt to do that and declare that he has an interest in the matter therefore should be excluded from the investigation,” said the H.R.P.P. Secretary. "I believe the Deputy Speaker should have refused the appointment when it was made because he already made his stance very clear that he is against these laws. 

"And we can't help and be suspicious about why they have dragged the investigation and what's taking them so long to conclude the investigation.

"The fact remains that there is already a report before the House, where the people from the Office of the Clerk of Legislative Assembly, have admitted that they have erred. 

"So I don't know why they are still dragging on this case."

Attempts by this newspaper to get comments from the Speaker and Deputy Speaker on Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful. 

Following his 9 March 2022 correspondence, Tuilaepa wrote another letter to the Speaker dated 11 March 2022 where he raised similar concerns about the Deputy Speaker and called for his removal as the Chair of the Special Parliamentary Committee.