Speaker of the House Papalii Li’o Taeu Masepa’u has cautioned the Human Rights Protection Party leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, over a public statement regarding a report pending in Parliament.
The Speaker did not name Tuilaepa; however, as reported earlier, he commented on the Commission of Inquiry into electoral laws with recommendations.
In a statement, the Speaker said it has come to his attention that a Member of Parliament has made several announcements on the Commission of Inquiry report on electoral matters, which was tabled in Parliament on the 30th of June in the past week.
This M.P. specifically laid out the public recommendations the Commission of Inquiry put forth and has stated allegations that such recommendations are indecorous.
The report is currently under consideration by the standing orders electoral petition and constitutional officers committee. He said it is required that all Members of Parliament must protect the integrity of the work currently under scrutiny by the Committee. Such matters should be upheld with confidentiality so as not to mislead the public before Parliament approves the report.
The Speaker cited parliamentary procedures pursuing standing orders 52 subsections 4 and 162 that any member shall not publish the contents of a report until the report of a Committee has been presented to the Assembly.