The Speaker of Parliament, Leaupepe Tole'afoa Fa'afisi, will have to ask Member of Parliament for Gagaifomauga No. 3, La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, to submit an official resignation letter.

The decision was announced in Parliament this afternoon, after La'auli verbally resigned after the Parliamentary Privilege and Ethics Committee found him guilty of contempt of Parliament, and recommended that he be suspended without pay for three months.

In announcing his resignation, La’auli said he accepted the report. 

He had apologised to Parliament for his shortcomings but said he could not sit there and continue to be condemned by Members of Parliament who had accused him of violating Parliamentary procedures and questioning Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi. 

La’auli added that the remarks from other Parliamentarians who spoke about the report and accused him of misleading the Chamber had wounded him and were more than enough cause to resign. 

Comments from other M.P.s in Parliament about the report accused La'auli of being disrespectful to the Prime Minister and the Speaker. 

Although a majority of the M.P.s asked Parliament to forgive La'auli, the majority also said the M.P. needed to watch the language he used in Parliament.

The decision for La’auli to resign follows a recommendation from the Parliament Privilege and Ethics Committee to suspend him for three months after they found he deliberately misled Parliament with statements he made relating to a generator for the Ministry of Prison. 

Tabled by Chairperson, Nafoitoa Talaimanu Keti, the Committee concluded that La’auli breached Standing Orders and the documents he presented to support his claims were not correct. 

It was recommended that La’auli be suspended for three months without pay or any other benefits.