Beware Of The Power Dynamics, Says Samoan Political Scientist
Deputy Leader for the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo in white) and Deputy Prime Tuala Tevaga Ponifasio (in red) observe as ballots are counted when Members of Parliament voted through a secret ballot on Tuesday, 18 October, 2022.
Photo: Parliament of Samoa
In light of the two-year suspension for two leaders of the Opposition, a Samoan political scientist says it is high time for voters to take note of the power dynamics occurring among lawmakers and hold their leaders accountable for their actions.
Dr. Christina Laalaai-Tausa, a political scientist at University of Canterbury in New Zealand said the country should not worry about the two-year suspension as it was a decision made by Parliament not by one political party.
In a democracy, the power ultimately rests with the people: a government of the people, for the people and by the people, she said.
What the people should be worried about is the “power dynamics” inside and outside of Parliament House, said Dr. Laalaai-Tausa.
“The Parliamentary committee has conducted their work according to process, the country should not be worried about this – it has been a transparent process,” she told EyeSpy Radio.
“What the country should be worried about is the power dynamics that is evident amongst its members of Parliament – it’s not everyone but there has been a public display of a power struggle – both in and outside of Parliament in language and behaviour.”
In the power struggle, “there has been blatant disregard for honesty, integrity and collectivism (constituencies and voters),” said Dr. Laalaai-Tausa.
“It is important to note that the decision was indeed made by Parliament and not by one political party and that it was a decision born out of a Parliamentary committee whose role was to thoroughly assess and perform functions that the House is not fitted to perform,” she said.
“This includes finding facts pertaining to a case, talking to witnesses, gathering and sifting evidence to draw up reasoned conclusions to present to Parliament; also taking into consideration that Parliamentary committees are bipartisan and operate across party lines.”
Dr. Laalaai-Tausa holds a Ph.D in Political Science from Massey University. Her doctoral thesis is titled “Conflicting power paradigms in Samoa’s democracy – From tension to a process of harmonization.”
She provides political commentary and analysis into Samoa’s political system of government as well as Pacific-related politics in New Zealand.
A Parliamentary decision regarding individual members of Parliament is not intended to impact on voters, Dr. Laalaai-Tausa told EyeSpy.
Opposition Leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and Secretary for the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi represent the Lepa and Faleata No. 3 electoral constituencies respectively.
Voters of Lepa and Faleata No. 3 cannot, however, dictate what their elected representatives do.
But electors can hold their leaders accountable, Dr. Laalaai-Tausa said.
“In fact the onus is and should be on the individual members to do what is right. The voters in these two constituencies have performed their civic duty in voting and placing trust in M.P.s to represent and voice their interests in the public fora. They cannot dictate how members will behave in and outside of Parliament but they can hold them accountable for their actions and/or inactions,” she said.
Now that Parliament has placed them on suspension without pay, the onus rests on the two suspended M.P.s – Tuilaepa and Lealailepule.
They can stay on as representatives of their constituencies or tender their letters of resignation, said Dr. Laalaai-Tausa.
“[A]re they willing to punish their voters for their individual actions, or are they thinking and prioritising the constituencies and the voters, in which case they resign and give the opportunity back to the people to vote for another M.P.? Either way it comes down to personal interests versus collective interests,” she said.
It is “vital” that Parliamentarians make decisions based on what is good for all and some M.P.s tend to forget who put them in their Parliamentary seats, said Dr. Laalaai-Tausa.
“It is vital for Samoa’s democracy that we ensure our M.P.s make decisions for the good of all, not for individual interests and not to feed an obsession for power. Many a times there is a tendency for some M.P.s to forget who put them in Parliament and why they are there,” she said.
“It’s equally important for voters to hold their M.P.s accountable, they must do this – a democracy is based on the mantra that it is the government of the people, by the people for the people. The power should rest with the people, certainly not the M.P.s”
What has happened to Tuilaepa and Lealailepule in Parliament is much what happens in the Faamatai system where a village council can penalize a person or a family by banishing them from the village.
“The suspension is an attempt at enhancing and strengthening Samoa’s democracy and most importantly one that protects the integrity of parliament. We see such decisions in our Faamatai system where the village council can decide to ostracize an individual or a family from the village for a certain period of time,” said Dr. Laalaai-Tausa.
“[I]t is not so much the ostracisation rather the lesson that comes with it – that is, for the actions not to be repeated again. Whether this will set a precedence for other governments is something we cannot rule out, however it does set the standard for Parliamentary conduct.”
The suspension does not punish the voters, she noted. Rather, the suspended M.P.s are punishing the voters because they do have the option to resign.
“The suspension doesn’t punish the voters – the M.P.s’ decisions and priorities punish the voters. If the M.P.s decision and priority is to maintain the power (if any) they have at the expense of the constituencies not having a representative for two years – that’s them punishing the voters,” Dr. Laalaai-Tausa said.
“However, if they decide and prioritise the voters by for example resigning – that’s them taking the punishment. The suspension does not in any way punish the voters. It’s the actions/inactions of the M.P.s that will punish the voters.”
Parliament voted 29-19 to place Tuilaepa and Lealailepule on suspension without pay on 18 October, 2022.
M.P.s voted through secret ballot whether or not to suspend the H.R.P.P. leaders for two years as recommended by the Ethics and Privileges Committee.
Last month, Fuimaono Dylan Asafo, a Samoan law lecturer at the University of Auckland, said
two-year punishment is an “unconstitutional misuse of Parliamentary power that should be of great concern to all Samoans” because “it sets an undemocratic precedent.”
The two-year suspension period for Opposition leader Tuilaepa and the H.R.P.P. Secretary Lealailepule is unconstitutional because it is excessive and undermines the protections for Samoa’s democracy enshrined in the Constitution, he explained.
“In my view, the suspension of Tuilaepa and Lealailepule for two years is unconstitutional,” Fuimaono said.
He said party loyalties should be set aside at this time and Standing Order 187(4) should be amended in order to uphold protections for Samoa’s democracy.
“Party loyalties and political tensions aside, this unconstitutional misuse of Parliamentary power should be of great concern to all Samoans as it sets an undemocratic precedent or norm for future Parliaments to follow,” Fuimaono said.
“Moving forward, it is crucial that Standing Order 187(4) be amended to provide a maximum time period for which an M.P. can be suspended so that constitutional protections for Samoa’s democracy can be upheld.”
EyeSpy contacted Samoa’s Political Historian Leasiolagi Dr. Malama Meleisea for a comment on the two-year suspension.
Leasiolagi is Director of the Centre for Samoan Studies at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.).
EyeSpy was told that he “cannot comment on that.”