8 Sep 2006

Samoa opposition dissent continues

12:33 pm on 8 September 2006

A second letter from Samoa's deputy leader of the opposition SDUP, Asiata Sale'imoa Va'ai, to the deputy speaker of parliament, La'auli Leuatea Polataivao, has been rejected.

The deputy speaker told the Samoa Observer newspaper that a caucus majority of five was not enough for changes in a political party to be put before parliament.

La'auli says there has to be eight caucus members to endorse any changes in a party.

Meanwhile, the newspaper says the scheduled meeting between Asiata as opposition deputy leader and New Zealand's opposition leader, Don Brash, who is visiting Samoa, has been cancelled because of the turmoil surrounding the the leadership issue.