Law Reform Commission

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said on his weekly national radio programme that the country was governed by nearly 300 statutes.

But he said more than 100 of these needed to be repealed.

Tuilaepa said there were laws that needed to be reviewed and set for amendment in Parliament.

He said one of the pressing laws in need of reform was the Electoral Act, and the amendment bill had gone through its first and second readings.

"This law needs to be passed now as it will be used to govern the next General Elections," he said.

The country's first Human Rights Review pointed out the difficulty women had in participating in village-based political decision-making because some traditional practices hindered or excluded them.

The report says the low rate of participation within the village translates into under representation at the national level.

The latest report follows a similar study this year which showed 93 percent of matai title holders are men.