Student Con-Con delegates voice opinions and take a vote on final day

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — By majority vote, student delegates to the 2022 Student Constitutional Convention, conducted virtually for two-days and ending late yesterday morning approved the three proposed amendments to the American Samoa Constitution as presented to them for discussion, and a vote.

On the House Reapportionment Amendment —  increasing the number of faipule for the Ituau and Ituau Representative districts — the final vote was 83-yes and 23- no, passing the amendment, which seeks to add one representative for Ituau and two to Tualauta, bringing the total House member to 25 voting Representatives.

On the Accountability Amendment, the final vote received 97- yes and 4-no votes. This amendment would add to the Constitution both an impeachment clause — for the Governor, Lt. Governor, Chief Justice and Associate Justices — and an expulsion clause directed to members of the Legislature.

On the Amendment for Women, it garnered 81- yes and 13- no votes. And this amendment aims to raise and improve the status of women in American Samoa.

The student delegates went into thorough discussions during the question and answer session yesterday on the three issues and they spoke their minds and voiced their opinions — as called for by Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga during his opening remarks on Tuesday.

According to the Governor’s Office, this historic event was co-hosted by the Office of Political Status, Constitutional Review, & Federal Relations under the Office of the Governor, and the Department of Education.

The committee is made up of students of both public and private institutions across the territory, and they took oath of office prior to the start of the convention.

Samoa News will report next week on each specific amendment and the explanations provided for the student delegates.