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Common Cause asks Fono to remove Ipulasi and Tulifua
Thursday,
May 1, 2008
Watchdog group Common Cause is now asking the Fono to remove Lt. Governor Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia and Senator Tulifua Lam Yuen.
Yesterday Common President Ben Teo distributed to the chairmen of all standing committees of both the House and Senate a letter asking that the Lt. Governor be impeached, and for Sneatopr Tulifua Lam Yuen to be removed. Copies of the federal government’s criminal complaint against the two officials were attached. Teo said since the Lt, Governor has not voluntarily stepped down until the matter is resolved Common Cause feels that local action is required. Common cause has yet to receive a response form Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne to its March 11 letter asking that DOI remove the lt. governor from office. Teo told KHJ News that Interior has assured that the Secretary will respond after legal staff have reviewed Common Cause’s request. Teo said they have decided to approach the Fono as under the law the legislature is where impeachment proceedings are initiated.
The law states that the House of Representatives can bring articles of impeachment against a sitting governor or lt. governor upon a vote of at least 2/3 of the entire membership. The Senate will try the impeachment, with the Chief Justice presiding. It takes a 2/3 vote of the entire senate membership to impeach a person. Another procedure provided under law for the removal of the two top two officials is a recall. This can be through a referendum election where 2/3 of voters in the last election approve a recall or voters petition the Legislature for a recall. A Senate Ethics Committee that was appointed to review the case of Senator Tulifua recommended that the Senate not take any action but to await the outcome of Tulifua’s trial. Teo said in the letter to the lawmakers, due to the public nature of the indictments, having the two individuals continue in public officers is more than a bit paradoxical.
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