By Lagi Keresoma
APIA, SAMOA – 25 MAY 2022: The FAST Party Leader and Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa remembered the day she and the FAST Members of Parliament were sworn-in under a tent as “sad but not surprising.”
The day was 24 May 2021.
The Party held a Candlelight Service at 0500 yesterday morning to mark the anniversary of the historic event in which Fiame reflected on the circumstances around the event and how they applied a legal doctrine to satisfy a significant provision of the Constitution.
She said before the 24 May 2021, the last day of the 45 days allocated by the Constitution for Parliament to convene after the general election, they laid out a back-up plan to counter any issues that might arise based on the various warrants issued by the Head of State at the time.
“We met with our lawyers and discussed a plan if the worst scenario arises,” said Fiamē.
Days before, the new MPs were called in by the Clerk for rehearsals in Parliament in preparation of the swearing in on 24 May 2021.
An indeed on the morning of 24 May 2021, they went to Mulinu’u, ready to be sworn in only to find the Parliament doors locked and a heavy police guard around the building.
Late in the morning, Fiamē and FAST Party MPs managed to meet with a reluctant Clerk of the Legislative Assembly. He had been preparing the swearing in ceremony before it was cancelled by a second announcement by the Head of State and a notice by a retired former Speaker. The Clerk said he could not do anything as his hands were tied by the instructions of his superiors.
FAST Patron Papalii Titiuatoa Malietoa, Fiame Naomi Mataafa and former Head of State, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi after yesterdays Candlelight Service.
After the unsuccessful events of the morning, FAST retreated to Fiamē’s home at Vaiala and set into motion the backup plan, which was to continue with the swearing-in ceremony based on the Doctrine of Necessity.
Utmost on FAST’s priority was to satisfy the provision in the Constitution and in the evening on the same day, FAST proceeded to swear in the Speaker who in turn swore-in the Prime Minister and all other MPs.
The swearing-in of the Speaker was conducted by former Attorney General Taulapapa Brenda Heather and Matafeo George Latu with former Court Deputy Registrar Veatauia Faatasi acting as the Legislative Secretary.
In her speech at the Candlelight Service, Fiamē set the record straight that the tent they used for the swearing in ceremony was not erected by FAST, but by the Legislative Assembly office in preparation for the swearing in of MP’s after the HOS issued the first warrant for the ceremony.
“People thought the event that evening was a dash effort by FAST when it was not,” she said.
“We planned ahead and we were calm because we thought of what could happen and how we can legally conduct the ceremony as it was the last day as ordered by the Constitution, and we did it,” she said.
Reaction to the swearing-in under a tent
Fiamē has been an MP for more than 30 years and had been through many swearing in ceremonies.
She said she felt sorry for the FAST MPs being sworn under a tent especially the very feeling of being drawn into the status of the ceremony as being low.
“But a friend sent me a text message and asked me to look at a photo of the swearing in of Samoa’s very first parliament that was conducted outside the old parliament building,” she said.
Candlelight commemoration
It was a breezy and chilly morning and around 5.00 am, in-front of the Parliament building, the Speaker Papalii Li’o Ta’eu Masipau led the service on the theme “O le Atua e Su’i ma Lalaga.”
Rain poured down heavily after the service and the ceremony was moved to the back of Parliament to a makeshift tent.
In a light-hearted moment, Fiamē said the message presented by the rain was for “us to return under a tent.”
The commemoration was attended by former Head of State, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, FAST patron Papalii Titiuatoa Malietoa, FAST MPs and supporters.
Fiamē acknowledge the support from all FAST supporters local and international for their trust and confidence.
Later in the morning, Parliament met to debate the Report by the Privileges & Ethics Committee that found and suspended for an indefinite period of time, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, the caretaker Prime Minister at the time the swearing in was conducted under the tent, while the parliament building next door remained locked and under heavy police guard.
The Candlelight Service.