Fono Briefs
by Fili Sagapolutele
and La Poasa
Samoa News Reporters
SENATE REJECTS
BILL BANNING POLITICAL SIGNS
The Senate yesterday
rejected a bill that would prohibit the public display of political
campaign signs, such as billboards and display illustrations.
Eight senators
voted to pass the bill and seven voted no. Ten votes were required
in order for the bill to pass.
Sen. Tuaolo M.
Fruean, one of the senators who voted against the bill, said
voters and local residents should be given the right to display
signs on their own property of the candidate(s) they support.
Sen. Alo Dr.
Paul Stevenson, one of the bill's sponsors, said the measure,
was in response to friction and disagreements in villages in
past elections. He said it aimed to ensure this does not happen
again in the future, especially now with the upcoming November.
MAN WHO DIED
NINE MONTHS AGO AND IS STILL AT THE MORGUE RAISED IN THE SENATE
Senate President
Lolo M. Moliga told Attorney General Fepuleai Afa Ripley Jr.,
yesterday that the government should do something about a Korean
man who died more than nine months ago and whose body is still
at the LBJ morgue.
Lolo told Fepulea'i
who was at the Fono to testify on legislation requiring LBJ hospital
to pay for their own malpractice lawsuits.
Lolo said the
government cannot ignore this individual as he was "a living
human being" and the Samoan culture clearly respects not
only the living but those who have passed on.
He said it's
our own people that brought this man in the territory and therefore
the person should be treated with respect during his death and
given a proper burial.
Fepulea'i said
it is his understanding that this particular case has been handled
by a local family.
Former lawmaker
Muavaefaatasi Ae Ae Jr., said that he had approached a local
Korean businessman to contact the South Korean consulate off
island to assist in transporting the man's body back to Korea.
However, he said
Satele Galu has agreed to allow the Korean man to be buried at
a Satele family land in Vailoatai, which is also the resting
place for other individuals who have no families here.
"It was
very kind and generous of Satele to allow their land so this
Korean man could be laid to rest," Muavaefa'atasi said.
He said the man
will be laid to rest today.
ASG OFFICIALS
SAY NO MONEY TO PAY FOR HOLIDAY FOR MOTHERS
While ASG officials
testified in the House yesterday that they support a day honoring
mothers of the territory, they cite budget constraints as the
main reason the proposal to have a holiday for mothers can't
be achieved.
Tasi Tuiteleleapaga,
the governor's chief counsel, said the Administration supports
the intent of the bill but by the same token, the Administration
supports acts that give honor to fathers as well, and the same
goes for children in the territory and so forth.
He said that
if such holidays for all of the different, but equally important
groups in our communities were granted, "it would be the
duty of this Administration to argue the budgetary constraints
that such a situation would engender."
The bill has
been tabled and remains in the House Rules Committee, chaired
by Vice Speaker Agaoleatu Charlie Tautolo.
HOUSE ASPA
COMMITTEE ASKED TO LOOK INTO SCRAP METAL ISSUE
The House ASPA
Committee, chaired by Rep. Manu Talamoa, has been requested to
look into the status of the scrap metal clean-up at the Tafuna
Scrap Metal Yard.
During last Friday's
session, Rep. Fiasili P.E. Haleck said thousands of visitors
will be visiting our island for the upcoming 10th Pacific Arts
Festival, and when you are driving from the airport to the town
area, the "mountains" of scrap metal are the first
thing visitors will see.
As of early February,
Good Year Corporation Ltd. - the company contracted by ASPA to
remove all scrap metals from Tafuna - has removed 2,000 tons
of scrap metal from the area.
Reach Fili
Sagapolutele at fili@samoanews.com.
Reach La Poasa at la@samoanews.com.
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