Pressure continues to be applied on Government Members of Parliament to vote against the third and final reading of the Right Hand Drive Bill, when Parliament is called to session next week on the 14 April 2008.

Organisers of Monday’s protest march, People Against Switching Sides, PASS, are continuing to urge supporters to write or talk to their electorate MPs to vote against the bill.

“Monday’s march is very important to demonstrate to our elected representatives our opposition to the Road Transport Reform Bill,” PASS Chairman, lawyer Toleafoa Solomona Toailoa says.

“ It is to say to each of our 49 elected members – ‘We are against the Bill – We ask you to vote against the Bill’. It is therefore important that if you do not want to switch from driving on the right side of the road to the left side – you need to march to voice your opposition.”

PASS says that of concern is the fact that the voice and the will of the people on this issue is being ignored by our elected representatives. The Chairman said further:

“On 17 December 2007, approximately 10,000 people marched to the Legislative Assembly. Those marchers presented to the Legislative Assembly a petition against the Government’s decision with over 33,000 signatories. Yet despite the march and despite the petition signed by so many concerned people, the Government intends to PASS the Bill anyway.

The march is to also say to Government and to our elected Members of Parliament – this issue and our opposition to this Bill will not go away – voice our concern in Parliament, represent our views and vote against the Bill.”

PASS has consulted with people all over Samoa and found that the Member of Parliaments’ constituencies are almost all against the Bill. PASS calls on the Honourable Prime Minister to allow a conscience vote – that is, for each Member of Parliament to be free to vote according to their conscience and the will of the electorate or alternatively, for the Government to call a referendum on this issue. A PASS spokesperson, Roina Vavatau, said:

“Members of Parliament should be free to vote on the Bill according to their conscience, particularly given the divisions created within our community by this Bill. This will allow them to vote against the Bill because at the moment, they are not free to do this unless they resign from the HRPP. Their problem is - if they vote against the Bill, they risk being kicked out of the HRPP. If they get kicked out of the HRPP, they lose their post as a Minister or an Associate Minister – because all HRPP members are either a Minister or Associate Minister. If this happens to them, they lose their benefits – so they are in a difficult position and we know that. However, we are asking them to listen to their constituencies and to vote according to the will of the people they represent in Parliament. It is their people and their district they represent, not the HRPP. Alternatively, the Government should let the people decide and put this matter to a national referendum.”

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