Samoa University to reopen to classes, year long celebration to mark indepence in Samoa, entries open for New Caledonia's elections, Samoa's speaker defers decision on a complaint laid by deputy Prime Minister.
Samoa University to reopen for classes
The Vice Chancellor of the National University of Samoa has welcomed the decision to reopen the institution and resume classes.
The Samoa Observer reported that Aiono Alec Ekeroma said the administration had requested the national university to reopen from next Wednesday.
Professor Aiono said the university was grateful to cabinet and the Prime Minister for granting its request.
He said students and teachers are keen to return to campus.
The re-opening will be managed in stages over three weeks to enable social distancing and monitoring of infection rates.
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa announced on Monday this week that NUS will reopen with classes starting this month.
Students have already been advised that classes will reopen gradually with selected programmes and courses on a staggered system.
Samoa to celebrate 60th Anniversary of Independence with year-long celebration
Samoa will have a year-long celebration for its 60th Independence anniversary starting June 1.
A submission from the Independence Organising Committee was approved by Cabinet.
The official celebrations will start with local thanksgiving services with the main celebrations to be held in September to coincide with the Teuila Festival, which has been held virtually for the last two years because of the pandemic.
Samoa's prime minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, addresses the UN Human Rights Council in a session for her country's Universal Periodic Review, 4 November, 2021. Photo: Samoa Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Cabinet has agreed to allocate $300,000 tala under the current financial budget 2021-22 with a further allocation of $1 million tala under the 2022-23 budget for the programmes planned for September.
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa announced on Monday that international borders will open in August this year allowing Samoans overseas to travel to Samoa under less stringent coronavirus border controls.
She announced that passengers testing negative upon arrival will be allowed to isolate with families and those testing positive will be quarantined for seven days.
"We have to start thinking and planning and also there are a lot of requests from our people abroad who want to come for the 60th independence celebration," she said earlier this year.
Entries open for New Caledonia's elections
Entries have opened for the French legislative elections.
In New Caledonia there are two seats available in the French national assembly in Paris, Wallis and Futuna has one seat while French Polynesia has three.
The first round of the legislative elections in France will happen on June 12 and the second a week later.
The New Caledonian pro-independence coalition still have not decided whether they will have two unitary candidates.
On the anti-independence side, "the Loyalists" are divided with each of the three main parties selecting separate candidates for each of the seats.
Samoa's speaker defers decision
Samoa's Speaker of Parliament, Papalii Lio Ta'eu Masipau, has deferred his decision on a complaint laid against two senior members of Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio.
Tuala alleges the MPs acted contrary to the terms of the Parliamentary Oath of Allegiance, contrary to the terms of the Code of Parliamentary Ethics and breached Parliamentary Standing Orders.
Papalii told Parliament his ruling on the complaint will be made once he looks into all aspects of the complaint.
The complaint follows the guilty verdict by the Supreme Court on charges of contempt of court against Opposition Leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and HRPP Secretary Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi earlier this year.
Papalii did not set a date for his decision but the two accused members have lodged legal replies with the Speaker.