CABINET MEETINGS MINUTES DISPELS FIAME’S CLAIMS
By: Joshua Lafoa’i
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi has refuted claims by former Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Lotofaga District, Fiame Naomi Mataafa that she was not present in the cabinet meetings which deliberated the three Lands and Titles Court legislations before they were tabled in Parliament.
The Former Deputy Prime Minister in announcing her stepping down from Cabinet subsequent to her resignation as a member of the HRPP to become an independent MP claims that she was not afforded the opportunity to voice her concerns during Cabinet deliberations.
For one, she was absent at one time due to self-quarantine regulations mandated by the COVID19 State of Emergency orders after returning from overseas.
Not according to the Commander in Chief who produced official minutes of the Cabinet meetings which reviewed the three legislations and attended by his former deputy.
“There were Cabinet meetings she was absent in. But she attended other Cabinet meetings which discussed the bills,” said the Prime Minister during his weekly program with Radio 2AP.
The Prime Minister said the Cabinet meetings minutes has confirmed that she was present on Wednesday 4th of March, and Wednesday 11th of March when the laws in question were under the Cabinet’s microscope.
“As you can see, Fiame was in attendance to these meetings, so her announcement that she wasn’t in attendance, are untrue,” he added.
The Prime Minister continued to note that succeeding Cabinet meetings listed under, “P.K. 20640” headlined, “Fa’amalamalamaina o Tulafono Tau Fa’aofi”, on the 8th of July 2020, and again on the 15th of July, 2020, the minutes also confirmed that Fiame was again in attendance.
“And even on the final meeting when Cabinet approved F.K 20 to endorse the bills in question to proceed to legislative submission and review, Fiame attended,” he added.
The Prime Minister says that the clarification is to defend the Cabinet’s due diligence in reviewing issues which are vital to the country’s wellbeing and to reaffirm that democracy is not undermined at the highest level of decision making.
