Samoa’s longest serving Speaker of Parliament, Le’aupepe Fa’afisi Toleafoa has indicated he will retire from political life after close to three decades of service to his electoral constituency of A’ana Alofi No 1.
Samoa Observer reports the owner of the biggest bus transport company in the country said he will not be contesting the 2021 General Elections.
Instead, he said his son will seek to succeed him as a member of Parliament for his electoral constituency.
The 73 year old first entered Parliament in 1991 and has been an MP ever since except for a five year term when he lost the elections in 2007.
He returned in a landslide in 2011 when he was appointed an Associate Minister by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.
His second stint in the Speaker’s chair came after the 2016 general elections.
He then served as Associate Minister before returning to the Speakership in 2016.
“I was called back to my role as Speaker, to maintain order and to uphold the integrity of Parliament during sessions,” said Leaupepe.
He said the challenge of the role was maintaining order during often unruly debates on the floor of the House.
The highlight of his tenure, he recalls, was being able to send Members of Parliament overseas for training, seminars and meetings.
The retiring MP said his family has kept him going all these years.
“I say family because if you can maintain order in your family, you can do the same for the church, your village and in broad your constituency,” he said.
“Being a Chief is one of the best achievements in which I succeeded in life and from there I felt the urge to serve my people through Parliament. The rest is history.”
