Samoan PM laughs at protest plan
Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi has ridiculed a plan by an group known as “Samoa Solidarity International (SSI)” to stage a protest march from Vaisigano to Mulinu’u on December 16 ,2017. The group is unhappy about a number of issues including what they call “illegal land reform law, LTR (Land Torren System) 2008,” claiming that the Act “was passed in violation of the Samoa Constitution by removing the constitutional prohibition against Customary Land alienation.” But Tuilaepa said many of these people – including anonymous online bloggers – are “off in the head.” “These people are seeking financial gains which allows them to travel overseas to attend meetings pertaining to issues of our lands,” Tuilaepa said.
He did not name anyone in particular.
But he said the people promoting the idea are behind anonymous bloggers such as “O le Palemia” (OLP) and other anti-government blogs.
“These are the same people who are hiding behind the Ole Palemia and I am happy that I will get to see their faces in public (at the march),” Tuilaepa said.
“I know who they are. This is good as it will allow the public to know who these people are, who have been defaming and publicly criticising our people.”
Asked if his government would grant them a permit to march, Tuilaepa said that’s a decision to be made by the Commissioner of Police, Fuiava Egon Keil, based on merit. As the Minister of Police, he said he doesn’t want to interfere with Fuiava’s role.
But the protest plan is interesting, the Prime Minister said.
“Up until now, I have not received anything. They intend to go to the Malae o Tiafau and currently the Parliament building is not completed.
“Maybe they’ll go and give their complaint to the roof of Parliament and maybe voice their concerns to the construction workers there.
“So to me it’s clear they are off in the head. I mean they should bring their concerns directly to me, and then I would say leave it with me, I will pass it on to the Attorney General for a legal opinion.”
As for the gist of the complaint, Tuilaepa said they have got it all wrong.
“The Torrens system was specifically for the privately owned land.”
He said with this system there was no need for a deed of ownership; rather the Torrens Land System requires registration of the land with the government.
“The explanation at the time was crystal clear by the government, that customary land will not be affected by the (Torren) system.”