Corruption and Samoa’s fa’amatai system
Dear Editor,
RE: CORRUPTION IN DEMOCRACY vs FAAMATAI VILLAGE COUNCIL CULTURE CONTITUENCIES.
There appears to be a resurging interest, judging from the contents of many letters to the Editor carried by the Samoa Observer Daily Issues, since the General Election in March 2016; that returned the H.R.P.P. from a 37/49 to a 47/50 majority of seats in the 16th Matai Parliament of Independent Samoa for the first time: and in expressing opinions on topics: like, Democracy, Corruption, and the Matai Corrupted West Minister Parliamentary Model, that is in operation in the Independent State of Samoa, ever since, gaining its independence from the United Nations Trusteeship Council in 1962.
In this March Election 2016, the present P.M. Matai Member of Parliament was returned by his Matai Culture Constituency of LE PA, on Upolu Island, without a single ballot vote casted on him. The same thing occurred in other 3 Matai Culture Constituencies, by returning their Matai Members of Parliament, without a single ballot vote casted on them, to be elected as Members of Parliament. All these 4 Matai Members of Parliament, elected to the Matai Parliament of Samoa, in 2016 General Election, were Registered Members of the H.R.P.P. in this Parliament.
If one is familiar with the workings of the so called Democratic Form Of Governance, as operated West Ministers Parliamentary form of Government, ever since the beginning: to have a single vote casted for a person to be elected to represent the voters, is not an absolute requisite: Voice Vote by acclamation, or agreement in unanimity is the venerated hall mark of the Democracy Form of Governance; and there are other Forms of Governing and Functioning Democracies, like The Faamatai Venerated Culture of the Samoans, in SAMOA,[ the SACRED CENTRE, or the SACRED ORIGIN are English meanings of a name SA MOA, in the Samoan Language]; and the Famatai Form of Democracy, was Accepted as Declared in the Resolution No. 13, of the 22nd Session of the United Nations Trusteeship Council in New York City, N.Y. U.S.A. in 1957.
If there is any contribution I can add to this surging expression of Opinions in Letters to the Editor in the Samoa Observer Issues, on such Topics as Democracy, a Form of Governance, and Corruption, a negative force, that inhibited development of human Societies materially, socially, and spiritually, I can and am offering my strongest support to the Solution that proffered by the Mata’afa Ken Lesa ‘s Editorial, in the Samoa Sunday Observer Issue, of 11/12/16, where he says, and I quote: “... honesty is the best policy. Even if you get away with corruption because you have not been caught, God [Taga Loa Lagi] is watching. He knows and you will get your dues in good time.” ( Words between [ ] are mine.)
Soifua,
Le Tagaloa Dr. Pitapola