Bill Calls for Separate Election of Governor & Lt. Governor

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A bill for the separate election of the governor and lt. governor has been introduced in the Senate.

If passed, it would change the constitution so that the top two leaders of the executive branch will no longer be elected as a team.
The bill’s chief sponsor is Senator Soliai Tuipine and co-sponors are Afoa Moega Lutu, Gaea Perefoti, Fuiava Avaloa, Magalei Logovii and Nuanuaolefeagaiga Saoluaga Nua,.

The bill provides that candidates for governor and lt. governor shall be nominated separately and each should have signatures of at least 300 qualified electors.

The governor and lt. governor, states the bill, shall be elected separately by a majority of the votes cast by qualified electors for each office.

If none of the candidates receives a majority of the votes cast in an election for either the governor or lt governor there shall be a run off election between the top two vote getters for each office, 14 days after the general election.

When asked for his reason in introducing the bill, Soliai said many people have expressed a desire to have these positions elected separately.

He said he will leave it up to the people to decide whether it’s time to change the election of governor and lt. governor.

Since this involves a constitutional change, it will have to be passed by three-fifths of all members of each chamber, after which the governor is required to place the proposed change by referendum in the next general election.

If voters approve the change, the governor then submits it to the Secretary of the Interior for approval or disapproval.

After the bill was introduced this morning, Senate President Gaoteote Palaie assigned it to the Senate Government Operations Committee chaired by Senator Galeai Tuufuli.

Galeai has scheduled a hearing on the bill for next Monday morning. The only witness is the Fono attorney.

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