Senators See Merit in Reviving 2010 Amendments

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Senators have instructed the head of the ASG Office of Constitutional Review, Political Status and Federal Relations to go through the proposed constitutional amendments which were passed in the 2010 constitutional review and submit a few to the Fono for action.

Tapaau Dr. Aga said at a Senate hearing Tuesday that he reviewed the list of amendments and regretted the format used in the 2012 election when all the changes were lumped in one question and the voter either said yes or no.

He said that in reading through the proposed changes there were some very good changes.

One of the responsibilities of Tapaau’s Office as stated in the executive order which established it as an agency of the Governor’s Office is to liaise, advise, collaborate with the Legislature and Judiciary on constitutional amendments or other political status issues that may be presented as referendums to the voters of American Samoa in the November 2016 general elections or the elections in 2018.

Senator Soliai Tuipine who was Election Commissioner at the time said he had advised against lumping all the changes in a single question,  rather to categorize the changes according to subject matter: Legislature, Executive, Judiciary and so on.

He repeatedly mentioned that it was Afoa Moega Lutu  who was in charge of the political Review status Office , who made this decision.

Soliai also commented that when he inquired further he was told that this is what then Governor Togiola wanted.

Tapaau was on the staff of the same office.

Senators directed Tapaau to pick some of the proposed amendments and submit them to the Fono for action.

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