The Samoa Observer’s Editorial Board has already strongly condemned the arrangement for covering next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) by the local and international media.

It has given what it feels are pertinent and valid reasons why the announced arrangement is absurd.

So far, the only response to the severe condemnation is that: Media Restriction is in the CHOGM Bluebook. That response was from the chief executive officer for the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Agafili Shem Leo.

He says media restrictions in October are based on Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Bluebook guidelines.

Agafili explained the situation last Thursday during another CHOGM sub-committee press conference during which only two private media personnel turned up.

He said that the CHOGM Bluebook is the blueprint for high-level meeting preparations and that more than 20 previous CHOGM conferences have used it as a guideline.

He noted that Wednesday’s press conference where chairpersons of the CHOGM sub-committees went over some of the conditions provided for under the CHOGM Bluebook.

‘These are not conditions from the government of Samoa, the conditions were already in place,' said Agafili.

‘I see the headline on one of the newspapers, but to further clarify the explanations from the chair yesterday the Commonwealth provided the terms and conditions that guide Samoa’s preparations just to be clear on this area.'

He continued; that there are areas the host broadcaster determines based on guidelines, like accreditation and various setting up workspaces for the local and international press based on the CHOGM Bluebook which is our blueprint.

‘The same goes for other committees like transportation, venues, security committee; there are guidelines for various works.’

We thank Mr Agafili for his explanation in which we note one very important word: GUIDELINE.

We accept his word that there is a CHOGM Bluebook but we cannot know whether his interpretation of the guidelines is correct and whether he has followed those guidelines correctly.

We also want to know why he has not instructed the co-chair of the CHOGM media subcommittee and the chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Lefaoalii Unutoa Auelua-Fonoti, who has been reported as asserting: that the media has to follow what the government wants them to do and the arrangement was done in other conferences.

That cannot possibly be correct. Why? Because the theme for the Samoa Conference is:

"One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth," looks at the core pillars of the Commonwealth through a resilience lens. CHOGM 2024 aims to strengthen: Resilient democratic institutions upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. A resilient environment to combat climate change."

We stress: Resilient democratic institutions, upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The media's job is to inform the people about the actions of the leaders they vote into office. That's why as the Fourth Estate of a democracy, they're accorded Freedom of the Press. To hold leaders to account; to speak truth to power; and to fact-check, the information going to the public.

It was only a very short time ago that Samoa went through a great big challenge to its standing as a democratic nation. For that reason, it is incumbent on every lover of freedom to resist any attempt to restrict any of our democratic rights and freedoms.

Restricting the Media as planned runs counter to the stated theme of the Samoa CHOGM.

Manuia le vaiaso fou.