OPINION: CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

By Nah Folasa

It is now 14 days since the general election and Samoa appears no closer to the swearing in of its next parliament.

In fact the caretaker PM has even spoken of fresh elections to resolve the current deadlock.

The Court schedules have been cleared and lawyers offices around town are working overtime to gather cases, claims and counter claims for the ensuing appeals.

With the Covid pandemic we have all become experts in virology, disease control, vaccination and levels of immunity. Similarly we are all learning the intricacies of our own legal system on which our independence was founded. Yes we are all students of Constitution 101! You can hear it in every cafe and taxi around town. Opinions are like noses: everybody has one!

The final decision will ultimately be determined by our learned judges in Court who have a wealth of training and experience. We must have faith in their fair and impartial judgement.

But as a lay person listening to to chatter in cafes and taxis, what is the word on the street? This could best be summarized as "mixed" and "polarized". There is very little grey area when it comes to politics.

Stepping back it is clear that our Constitution was well thought through, well drafted and embraced Samoa's unique culture and identity into the Westminster system. However, it would appear that we are in this current political dilemma as a consequence of the constant tinkering and amending of the principal document to satisfy immediate political agendas. This band-aid approach seems the have been short sighted and not particularly well considered or executed. Because the ruling party held such a stronghold on power there was little need or opportunity for meaningful debate to iron out any wrinkles.

Ultimately we as a nation have created this situation. We elect people from our constituencies to represent us. We give them our blessing to act and make decisions on our behalf. If we dont like that decision we get another chance every 5 year to make a change.

If nothing else the 2021 general election has said "enough is enough. We demand change!"

Let's hope this turmoil is resolved quickly and peacefully.