Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lemanu Peleti Palepoi Sialega Mauga revealed to lawmakers on Monday plans for the Administration's political status study commission meeting next year, saying that it’s very important that discussions continue on the territory's future political status.

The Fono leaders are supportive of this plan, which was one of the many issues the governor spoke about during his Samoan address to the joint Fono session. The governor didn’t provide a specific time-frame for next year’s study or for convening a commission meeting.

Meanwhile, the Administration is proposing $200,000 under the Governor's Special Programs fiscal year 2022 budget to go to the ASG Political Status Office for public awareness programs.

"It is in the best interest of all American Samoans that our way of life and identity should reflect in our governing political status," according to the funding description in the Governor's "Executive Summary" FY 2022 Budget report.

"There is still a segment of our population that do not fully understand our governing covenant and the issue of being an unincorporated territory," it says adding that this funding will offset operation costs associated with outreach and educational programs provided to the community.

In the past 8-years several lawmakers and traditional leaders as well as others in the community had called on the Lolo Administration to address the issue. Early this year, Tuipine Fuimaono said he hoped that the new, Lemanu Administration will call a Constitutional Convention this year, as there was none last year and that’s probably due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

He said there are many important issues that need to be addressed and put to the public to vote on, via referendum.

Former Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga was asked during a news conference in December 2017 about calling a constitution convention — following many public inquiries. He told reporters that he recommended to Fono leaders to utilize the legislative process for any proposed changes, as this is the most effective way.

“It’s a much cheaper way and it's a process that will give the public a chance to provide testimonies, during public hearings,” he said, and noted that if a convention is called, convention delegates would probably be more keen on getting their allowances, while only a few people would make the decisions. (The constitution allows delegates to receive per diems set by law.)

He gave the same response when the same issue of a constitutional convention also came up in 2019.