5 Sep 2006

Samoa Opposition party crisis continues

6:20 am on 5 September 2006

Samoa's main Opposition party leadership crisis is far from over with leader Le Mamea Ropati, leaving today for an overseas meeting in South Korea.

A Samoa Democratic United party source says the leader has appointed one of his senior loyal MP as acting leader while he's away.

The move by the party leader has totally left out the elected deputy leader, Asiata Sale'imoa Va'ai, who still declares himself as the new leader.

Le Mamea told the Samoa Observer newspaper, the attempt to remove him as leader was "stupid" and "childish".

He said he had enough of Asiata and also made it clear that he will no longer work with the deputy leader.

Meanwhile Le Mamea says the issue of leadership will be discussed in a caucus meeting when he returns home in two weeks.