Manu’a’s three senators have banned together in seeking to return two senatorial seats to the Manu’a islands that were taken away 57 years ago. Prior to this, there were five seats in the Senate representing Manu’a’s five counties — Fitiuta, Faleasao, Ta’u, Olosega, and Ofu.

While the move failed in the last Legislative session, as well as in past years to return to Manu’a its original five senatorial seats, this time around, Sens. Nuanuaolefeagaiga Saoluaga T. Nua, Misaalefua J. Hudson and Galeai M. Tu’ufuli are making sure that the argument for their case is made known and advanced through the measure’s preamble.

PREAMBLE

The Manu’a senators point out that the Constitution originally mandated 15 members of the Senate: 5 each from the Western, Eastern and Manu’a districts. However, the membership was changed in the 1960 Revised Constitution, where the Senate membership was increased to 18.

“The basis of the representation was changed from one senator per traditional political county or five per district to ‘population’ of districts,” according to the preamble, which also states the effect was to increase senators for the Eastern District from five to nine; five to six for the Western District and a reduction of Manu’a from five to three.

“There is no explanation regarding the reduction of senatorial seats from Manu’a and no explanation for the meaning of ‘population’ of districts,” the current Manu’a senators argue and note that there are 15 traditional counties of American Samoa with five of them in Manu’a. Despite having five counties, Manu’a is represented by only three senators, it says.

“Manu’a’s traditional counties are under represented in the present composition of the Senate,” the senators argue.

They note the Manu’a Deed of Cession, in which the Manu’a chiefs ceded the island group to the United States to become part of American Samoa, include in the measure the names of the Manu’a chiefs — Tuimanu’a, Tufele, Misa, Tuiolosega and Logoai, who signed the deed.

“It is the wisdom and foresight of our Manu’a forefathers who saw it was best for our people to align ourselves with the United States of America by entering into the Deed of Cession in 1904,” the senators point out.

Additionally, “We should honor the wisdom and foresight of our Manu’a forefathers, Rapi Sotoa, Tauala, Laapui, Ma’o, Tuiolosega Tuumamao, Misa and Velega when they signed the original American Samoa Constitution... where Manu’a allocated five senators to represent the five counties of Manu’a,” the senators argue.

Furthermore, “The decisions made for us by our wise forefathers who signed the Deed of Cession and the American Samoa Constitution should be respected and honored,” the senators say. “It was their wish that all Samoans are represented fairly in our Legislature.”

According to the proposed amendment to the Constitution, Manu’a will have five senators, instead of the current three. Additionally, it will be one senator from each of the five Manu’a counties. Furthermore, the Senate membership will increase from the current 18 to twenty.

A technical amendment also proposed in the measure is the senator representing Olosega County includes Sili [village].

The measure to amend the constitution, through a Senate Joint Resolution, is the subject of a hearing next week Monday. The hearing is a joint one by the Senate Rules and Government Operations committees.

Nuanuaolefeagaiga is the Senate Rules Committee chair and Galeai chairs the Government Operations Committee.