Former Cabinet Minister wants unified government

By Diedre Fanene 19 February 2016, 12:00AM

A former Cabinet Minister, Tafā’ese Uili Lautua Peseta, has thrown his name back in the hat for the General Elections.

Running as an independent candidate, Tafā’ese is going up against three other candidates including the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Tuisugaletaua Sofara Aveau at Vaimauga East.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Tafā’ese said it has always been his desire to serve his constituency and Samoa until his last breath.

In the meantime, Tafā’ese dreams that in the future, Samoa will have a one party government like Switzerland.

“I don’t mind that,” he said. “After all our developments now, perhaps maybe we should consider looking at a unified government.

“In that way the world will see that our country has one heart. But that won’t happen unless the people decide on this.”

His other wish is for Samoa to go back to the basics of Samoan life.

“I remember when my constituency Vaimauga i Sasa’e selected me in 1988, I had a saying “Fau se Samoa Fou” but from 1988 until today I feel that we have had huge developments and its time to go back to our culture and traditions.

 “In saying that, it seems simple but it is not as easy as that. What I mean in going back to our roots is that our culture and our traditions in terms of “Faaaloalo, Vatapuia, Lau fofoga fiafia, o le autasiga, that is my desire.”

“Those are my humble dreams and I can only realise them by participating in the election. If I’m chosen by my constituency, then those are the things I would like to see.”

Tafā’ese said his main focus is on the development of Youth and Early Childhood Education.

 “At Vailele, my wife has a preschool called St. Catherine and after four years, I have seen the benefit of these young children from their early childhood education now that they have gone up to Primary School.

“I have seen that the ones that had the opportunities to enter early childhood education are the ones that are top students from their first year of primary schools.

“So that is why I think early childhood education is very important.”

As for the development of the youth, he believes there should be different strategies put in place.

 “Our culture and traditions in terms of respect is so important,” he said. “Back in the days, young people had so much respect for their elders. For example, on the buses when they see an elderly person getting inside, they will stand up and give the seat for that elderly person.

“Nowadays that is not the case anymore.

“Another thing is the safety of our sisters, our daughters and our granddaughters but nowadays they are not safe even in their own home.

“Why? Because the culture and the tradition is fading. So how can we go on and continue with this when our daughters no longer have the freedom that they should be having?

“So this is why I believe that the “Tu ma le Aganuu” should be inserted in the education system starting from the Early Childhood Education till Tertiary Level.”

Asked what else he will be pushing for aside from Early Childhood Education and Youth Development, he said he wants to decrease urban migration.

“We should be visiting those areas so that we can cherish our families in the rural areas, and have some developments in the rural areas so that people will not be moving to the urban anymore but rather to look after our land in the rural areas,” he said.

So is he confident that his constituency will vote for him? 

 “I am very confident,” he said. “Whatever the people decide, I have to accept it and that is why I said I am confidence because I go by the will of the people. They are the ones who make the decision, not me.”

 

 

By Diedre Fanene 19 February 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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