They are representatives of the Govt.

Dear Editor,

Re: Samoa no longer a democracy 

The Pulenuu/Sui o le malo position has always been a paid position. It didn’t just become a paid position under Tuilaepa. The English translation of the word “mayor” easily confuses Samoans thinking in the palagi world and palagis like Wendy thinking like her normal uneducated self.

The “mayor” (sui o le malo) is not there to represent the village. That is what the village fono does. The Sui o le malo is quite literally translated as “representative of the government”. “Village Mayor” is actually a 100% wrong translation of this title.

Their jobs are to serve the government (and hence taxpayers) in the village. They are the number one government administration officer in the village. They inspect the waterways; report damage to government infrastructure (eg: powerlines); liaise with central govt over the census; liaise with the ministry of education over school buildings; inform the village fono of govt health; aid; or other programmes that need to be conducted in the village; liaise with police over escaped prisoners in their village; liaise with L.T.A. over damages to roads and auala galue, as well as all sorts of other administrative things.

This is why they are paid. It is because they are doing government work in the villages. They are not paid to vote for the H.R.P.P. This is just complete rubbish made up by clowns who hate the P.M. They do not even sign for candidates in elections anymore. The law was changed before the last elections.

The village fono are the voice of the village. These Sui o malo are not the voice of their village. They are the voice of the government IN the villages. Get that straight and you will not be operating under a mistaken assumption. The media needs to get rid of this palagi translation “mayor” and report the correct title which is “sui o le malo” or “representative of the government”.

 

Petelo Suaniu 

Samoa Observer

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