9 Jan 2014

Samoa ruling party celebrates 35 years of political strength, says leader

2:47 pm on 9 January 2014

Samoa's ruling Human Rights Protection party leader and Prime Minister, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, has used the celebration of his party's 35 years to address supporters in which he says the current party caucus is much stronger and stands together.

He says differences among caucus members is a usual political thing that is sometimes wrongly interpreted by some people and the opposition.

But he warns the party that once its members are divided it would be their downfall.

The ruling party leader's words of encouragement and advice comes after frictions within the caucus last year where nineteen MPs wrote a letter to the prime minister asking for the minister of finance to step down.

It related to allegations of abuse of power in the performance of his ministerial duties.

A low point for the party was in 1999 when a minister, Luagalau Leva'ula Kamu, was shot dead in a plot hatched by two fellow party members and ministers.