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Governor appoints admin liaison to Senate

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has appointed former House member Paopao Ailua J. Fiaui as his liaison to the Senate and has called on cabinet directors for their support of the new appointment, announced during Monday’s emergency cabinet meeting.

 

Paopao, who represented Aua village in the House in past years, held the same post during the Togiola Administration, and although he was liaison to the Senate, Paopao also worked for administration issues in the House.

 

Lolo told directors Paopao has been "serving in our political arena for quite some time”. He said Paopao will be the liaison person to the Senate and all contacts to the Legislature will be through Paopao.

 

“We’ll try to find space for him at the Fono,” he said and told directors to work with Paopao “to make sure that our issues with the Fono will be moved forward so that we don’t have the problems we’re facing today”.

 

The governor didn’t elaborate on the problem’s “we’re facing today” but he did say…" in time “we can utilize Paopao to be our person that will deliver service over at the Legislature.”

 

“So give Paopao your support and hopefully we’ll all work together with him to make sure that our issues... will be approved by the Legislature,” he added.

 

During the first few days of the 2nd Regulation Session, which began July 8, there were only 12 senators present and at times only 11— while five senators were off-island for medical reasons and one seat was vacant due to the passing in June of senator Fa’agata Mano Fa’agata.

 

The Senate barely made the quorum for its regular session and several of the government nominees to board members were rejected by the Senate, worrying the administration as to what will happen to nominees in the future.

 

The Fono reconvenes next Monday following a three-week midsession recess and the governor is hoping his nominations for directors and boards will go through smoothly in the Senate where there are now three vacant seats, due to the passing of three senators.

 

As reported by Samoa News early this month, the Fagatogo village council selected Tiumalu Telesia Scanlan as their senator to fill the seat left vacant in June due to the passing of the late senator Mano Fa’agata Mano of Fagatogo. Tiumalu will represent one of the three senatorial seats for the Maoputasi County, for the villages of Fagatogo, Fagaalu and Utulei. No information was available at press time as to when Tiumalu’s selection will be presented to the Senate.