Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi

Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi (born April 1967)[1] is a Samoan politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa. He is the founder of the Tautua Samoa Party.[2][3]

Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi
Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi in 2013
Member of the Samoan Parliament
Assumed office
9 April 2021[lower-alpha 1]
Preceded byConstituency established
ConstituencyFaleata 3
In office
4 March 2011 – 9 April 2021
Preceded byAle Vena Ale
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyFaleata West
In office
31 March 2006 – 14 May 2010
Preceded byUlu Vaomalo Kini
Succeeded byAle Vena Ale
ConstituencyFaleata West
Chair of the Tautua Samoa Party
Interim
In office
17 December 2008 – 22 December 2010
Preceded byParty established
Succeeded byVa'ai Papu Vailupe (as leader)
Personal details
BornApril 1967
Political partyHuman Rights Protection Party (2016–present)
Other political
affiliations		Tautua Samoa Party (2008–2016)

Lealailepule was first elected to Parliament at the 2006 Samoan general election, representing the Faleata West (Faleata i Sisifo) as an independent.[4][5] 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.[6]

As an independent, Lealailepule campaigned against the planned government sale of the public broadcaster Radio 2AP.[7] Since the formation of Tautua Samoa, he has also 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.[8]

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.[9] 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.[10][11] The party was in January 2009 ordered to formally notify the Speaker of its existence and membership.[12] Establishing the party, Lealailepule expressed his intention to form a stronger and more effective opposition to the ruling Human Rights Protection Party.[13] 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".[14][15] 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 Tautua Samoa.[16] He was defeated in the resulting by-election.[17][18] He was re-elected at the 2011 election and appointed the Tautua Party's whip.[19] During this term he opposed the creation of reserved seats for women[20] and called for life imprisonment for drug smugglers.[21]

In February 2016 he announced that he was leaving the Tautua Samoa party and would run as a Human Rights Protection Party candidate in the 2016 election.[22][23] He was successfully re-elected,[24] and appointed Associate Minister of Communications.[25] As Associate Minister he accused the United Nations of promoting same-sex marriage[26] and called for bloggers critical of the government to be hunted down.[27][28]

Lealailepule ran again at the 2021 election and was elected unopposed.[29][30]

On 31 January 2022 Lealailepule was suspended from parliament for 24 hours for making "misleading" public comments about a parliamentary investigation into the passage of the Land and Titles Bill and the Speaker's refusal to swear in MPs elected under the women's quota following the 2021 Samoan by-elections.[31]

On 23 March 2022 he was convicted alongside Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi of scandalising the court for his attacks on the judiciary during and following the 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis.[32][33] On 24 May 2022 both were suspended indefinitely from the Legislative Assembly after the Privileges Committee found that they had bought parliament into disrepute.[34][35] On 30 August, the supreme court ruled the suspension to be unconstitutional.[36]

The privileges and ethics committee subsequently reviewed Tuilaʻepa's case and recommended that he and Lealailepule be re-suspended without pay for 24 months. The legislative assembly then approved the committee's motion on 19 October, with all present FAST members and one from the HRPP voting for it.[37] On 4 July 2023 the Supreme Court ruled that Tuilaʻepa and Lealailepule's suspension was unconstitutional and void.[38]

Notes
  1. Suspended 24 May 2022 - 4 July 2023

References
  1. Ilia L. Likou (9 April 2017). "Age just a number, Leala turns 50!". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  2. Alan Ah Mu (17 December 2008). "Tautua Samoa officially launched". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  3. Pio Sioa (17 December 2008). "Tautua Samoa Party is now official". SamoaLive Newsline. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  4. Pio Sioa (2 May 2008). "Asiata released, Le Mamea AWOL". Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  5. "Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi profile". Parliament of Samoa. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  6. "Samoa court dismisses another election petition". RNZ. 11 August 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  7. "Call on Samoan government to retain Radio 2AP". RNZ. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  8. Lua Salei (4 February 2009). "Tautua Samoa Leader Worry About Police Credibility". SamoaLive Newsline. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  9. "Opposition MPs in Samoa urge small political parties to unite for a coalition". RNZ. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  10. "Samoa: In Brief". Keesings Record of World Events. 54 (12). December 2008.
  11. Pio Sioa (6 May 2008). "No Bi-Elections – Speaker". SamoaLive Newsline. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  12. "Samoa's Parliamentary speaker orders new political party to declare caucus members". RNZ. 25 January 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  13. Pio Sioa (28 April 2008). "Leaderless, nameless party formed". SamoaLive Newsline. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  14. "By-elections to be called in Samoa for nine vacant parliamentary seats". RNZ. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  15. "Change of heart forces new Samoa by-elections", ABC Radio Australia, 31 May 2009
  16. Alan Ah Mu (18 March 2010). "Va'ai springs election shock". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  17. Marieta Heidi Ilalio (15 May 2010). "Palu stays, Ale reigns". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  18. "Tautua Samoa's Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi loses parliamentary seat". RNZ. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  19. "Tautua Samoa party re-elect leader". RNZ. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  20. "Samoa opposition questions need for more women in parliament". RNZ. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  21. "Samoa opposition irked by soft drug smuggler penalties". RNZ. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  22. "Samoa chief opposition whip crosses floor". RNZ. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  23. Sarafina Sanerivi (7 February 2016). "Why I've switched - Leala". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  24. Sarafina Sanerivi (7 March 2016). "Low voting turnout at Faleata West". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  25. Vatapuia Maiava (4 April 2016). "Bluesky welcomes M.C.I.T. minister". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  26. Joyetter Luamanu (29 November 2017). "Associate Minister sounds same sex marriage alarm". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  27. "Govt. urged to deal with 'threat' from within". Samoa Observer. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  28. "Samoan minister wants abusive bloggers hunted down". RNZ. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  29. Soli Wilson (23 October 2020). "The 200 to contest 2021 general election". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  30. Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (28 November 2020). "Lealailepule secures seat in next Parliament sitting". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  31. Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (31 January 2022). "My suspension was deliberate, says Leala". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  32. Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (23 March 2022). "Court opts not to penalise Tuilaepa, Leala and Maiava". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  33. "Court finds former Samoa PM guilty of contempt". RNZ. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  34. Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (24 May 2022). "Committee seeks to suspend Tuilaepa and Leala indefinitely". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  35. "Samoa's HRPP leader suspended indefinitely from Parliament". RNZ. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  36. Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (30 August 2022). "Court voids Tuilaepa and Lealailepule indefinite suspension". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  37. "Opposition MP voted to suspend Leader and Party Secretary". Talamua Online. Apia. 19 October 2022. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  38. Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (4 July 2023). "Court voids Tuilaepa and Lealailepule suspension". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
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