The selection of senators for Manu’a District No. 1 may be headed to the courts.
Early this week Senator Nuanuaolefegaiga Saoluaga Nua confirmed to KHJ News that a dispute has emerged over an earlier meeting of Ta’u to discuss the two Senate seats for District no. 1.
He did not give details but said a another group of chiefs are disputing the decisions reached at the first meeting to discuss who will represent Ta’u in the Senate.
A KHJ News story about that first meeting quoted Nuanuaolefeagaiga saying that chiefs present endorsed Senator Galeai Tu’ufuli and himself to continue in their present positions.
However another group of chiefs convened a separate meeting later.
That group has apparently dumped Nuanuaolefeagaiga and agreed on talking Chief Maui Letalu to come to the Senate in the new legislature.
That faction also discussed banishment of Nuanuaolefeagaiga from the Tau Council.
A member of the group contacted by KHJ News said that the affairs of Ta’u are for Ta’u only and there’s no reason why their decisions should be made public.
If it does go to court, it would not be the first time that the senatorial seat is subject to judicial review.
