17 Sep 2002

American Samoan senate removes member

10:52 am on 17 September 2002

Senators in American Samoa have voted to remove Senator Faamausili Pola from the upper chamber of the legislature.

This follows a petition from Manu'a District One.

The petition was signed by 68 chiefs and orators.

Under local laws, members of the senate must hold chiefly titles and be selected by their respective county chief council.

The Manu'a District One Council believes the selection of Faamausili in August was done by a limited number of chiefs and did not include the district governor, Paramount Chief Galeai Tuufuli.

Therefore, it says it was not a consensus decision.