Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi

Former Samoa leader needs medical help in NZ - health officials

A Ministry of Health official said they had already prepared the necessary paperwork for Cabinet's review and consideration.

Last Thursday the 76-year-old was admitted to Intensive Care at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole hospital and released on Tuesday.

Radio Polynesia reported Tuilaepa had a high fever.

Parliament resumed this week but Tuilaepa, who became the opposition leader following last year's acrimonious election, has not taken his seat.

Samoa's opposition leader released from hospital

The veteran politician had complained of a fever as well as general tiredness following his weekly press conference last Thursday and doctors decided to admit him.

An official statement from the Human Rights Protection Party said Tuilaepa was recovering well from the flu and that he required plenty of bed rest.

Meanwhile Parliament resumes sitting this morning and Tuilaepa is not expected to be in attendance according to party sources.

Samoa's opposition leader in hospital

Newsline Samoa reports Tuilaepa was admitted for general observation and rest on Thursday night.

Supporters said the 76-year-old veteran politician has not slowed down since losing the 2021 General Elections and was even working throughout the holiday season.

 

Photo file  Caption: Samoa's opposition leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi

     

Samoa's Tuilaepa calls for inquiry into Office of the Electoral Commission

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi made the comment during a press conference with the media at the HRPP headquarters.

The call follows the arrest of the assistant Electoral Commissioner Afualo Darryl Mapu after a drug raid at his house.

Four illegal pistols, including a revolver, two rifles, $2,900 tālā cash, methamphetamine and several laptops were confiscated during the raid.

Tuilaepa concerned about plane lease cancellation

He said he is concerned about how easy it was for the FAST government to cancel the lease and incur 180 million tālā in penalty costs.

Tuilaepa blames FAST's reliance on the advice of former Attorney-General Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu.

The senior lawyer said in a report that the leasing of the plane breached company rules because it was insolvent.

In announcing the cancellation of the lease last week, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said the company was bankrupt and the best thing to do was to cancel the lease and look at a full audit of it's operations.

HRPP in Samoa will go ahead with Vaiusu Bay, if returned to power

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi told voters in the Falealupo constituency, ahead of next month's by-elections, that he had urged Chinese leaders not to stop the project.

The Faatuatua I le Atua Samoa ua Tasi FAST Party government stopped the port project when it took office.

Tuilaepa claims the cancellation was due to the ongoing feud between the west and China.

He reminded these countries what the late South African President, Nelson Mandela, had said "your enemies are not our enemies".

Tuilaepa against reopening of airstrip

According to TV1Samoa, Tuilaepa said the main reason for closing the airstrip was safety given the runway was too short for the fast planes used by both Samoa Airways and Talofa Airways.

And he said the threat of drug trafficking was annother reason his government closed the airport.

Minister for Civil Aviation, Olo Fiti Va'ai, recently said in Parliament that he would reopen the airstrip as it was convenient for the travelling public.

Olo said he intended to close the new Ti'avea airstrip down even before a plane had landed on it.

     

Tuilaepa says he has nothing to apologise to the courts for

He said he has no reason to apologise.

The Samoa Observer reported this week that the opposition leader "offered his sympathy for the judiciary" after weeks of criticising and protesting against the courts.

It said Tuilaepa told local television it is the "nature of their roles" as an opposition to question the three different arms of the Government.

But yesterday Tuilaepa told a press conference his use of the Samoan word "fa'amalulu" was translated as meaning "apologise" but it was out of context.

     

Samoa's former leader criticises NZ/AUS for lack of support

He has raised concerns at the silence from New Zealand and Australia over recent decisions by the local judiciary that he claims plunged the country into "the law of the jungle".

Tuilaepa, speaking on local television, said decisions by the judiciary on election matters had made the constitution untenable and there had not been any international reaction.

The former prime minister accused the judiciary of hiding behind the Court of Appeal, which he said had shattered the constitution.

Samoa's Tuilaepa accused of desperate attack on rule of law

The call comes from the winner of april's election, majority party FAST, which has raised concern about what it described as "disturbing developments" in recent days.

This includes the HRRP lodging a complaint to the Judiciary Services Comission, accusing the Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese of incompetence.

It comes as the country's Court of Appeal is due to sit on Friday to consider the legality of the adhoc swearing-in of the FAST government in late May