Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi
Encyclopedia
Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi is a Samoan
politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa. He is the founder and interim chair of the Tautua Samoa party.
Lealailepule became an MP in August 2006, representing the Faleata West (Faleata i Sisifo) parliamentary constituency. He had previously served as chief executive of the Samoan airport authority, and won election with 795 votes, 165 more than his rival, the former minister of police.
Since his election, Lealailepule has campaigned against the planned government sale of the public broadcaster Radio 2AP. He has also, since the formation of Tautua Samoa, expressed doubts about the ability of the police commissioner to function in office following a damaging Commission of Inquiry Report, and called for the release on parole of former cabinet minister Toi Aukuso
, jailed in the 1990s for the murder of Minister of Works Luagalau Levaula Kamu
.
In November 2008, Lealailepule was one of twelve (later whittled down to nine) MPs from the Samoan opposition to form a new political party, Tautua Samoa. Like the other Tautua Samoa members, Lealailepule registered as an independent MP to avoid the constitutional requirement to contest a by-election on changing parties. The party was in January 2009 ordered to formally notify the Speaker of its existence and membership. Establishing the party, Lealailepule expressed his intention to form a stronger and more effective opposition to the ruling Human Rights Protection Party
. In May 2009, Speaker Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Lei'ataua revoked the parliamentary membership of all nine of the party's MPs, on the grounds that joining a party after being elected "breached the provisions of the Electoral Act and the parliament standing orders". The expulsion was later overturned by the courts.
In March 2010, Lealailepule was deemed to have resigned from Parliament under anti-party-hopping laws after refusing to deny his support for Tatua Samoa. He was defeated in the resulting by-election
.
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa. He is the founder and interim chair of the Tautua Samoa party.
Lealailepule became an MP in August 2006, representing the Faleata West (Faleata i Sisifo) parliamentary constituency. He had previously served as chief executive of the Samoan airport authority, and won election with 795 votes, 165 more than his rival, the former minister of police.
Since his election, Lealailepule has campaigned against the planned government sale of the public broadcaster Radio 2AP. He has also, since the formation of Tautua Samoa, expressed doubts about the ability of the police commissioner to function in office following a damaging Commission of Inquiry Report, and called for the release on parole of former cabinet minister Toi Aukuso
Toi Aukuso
Toi Aukuso Cain was a Samoan politician.He was elected Member of Parliament for the Faleata West constituency in 1979, and served for twenty years until his arrest...
, jailed in the 1990s for the murder of Minister of Works Luagalau Levaula Kamu
Luagalau Levaula Kamu
Luagalau Levaula Kamu was a lawyer and Minister of Public Works in Samoa, whose assassination shocked the Samoan and Pacific Islands community....
.
In November 2008, Lealailepule was one of twelve (later whittled down to nine) MPs from the Samoan opposition to form a new political party, Tautua Samoa. Like the other Tautua Samoa members, Lealailepule registered as an independent MP to avoid the constitutional requirement to contest a by-election on changing parties. The party was in January 2009 ordered to formally notify the Speaker of its existence and membership. Establishing the party, Lealailepule expressed his intention to form a stronger and more effective opposition to the ruling Human Rights Protection Party
Human Rights Protection Party
The Human Rights Protection Party is a Samoan political party. It has been the dominant party in Samoan politics since 1982.The party was co-founded in May 1979 by Va'ai Kolone and Tofilau Eti Alesana in opposition to the government of Tupuola Efi...
. In May 2009, Speaker Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Lei'ataua revoked the parliamentary membership of all nine of the party's MPs, on the grounds that joining a party after being elected "breached the provisions of the Electoral Act and the parliament standing orders". The expulsion was later overturned by the courts.
In March 2010, Lealailepule was deemed to have resigned from Parliament under anti-party-hopping laws after refusing to deny his support for Tatua Samoa. He was defeated in the resulting by-election
Faleata West by-election, 2010
A by-election was held in the Faleata West constituency in Samoa on 14 May 2010. The by-election was precipitated by the disqualification from the Legislative Assembly of Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi for joining the Tautua Samoa Party...
.