Fuimaono Dylan Asafo *
Opinion - In my view, the first meeting of the new parliament on the afternoon of Monday 24 May 2021, which included the swearing-in of Fiame Naomi Mataafa as the Prime Minister of Samoa (along with the swearing-in of the Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, and elected members) was constitutional in light of the extraordinary circumstances Samoa was facing.
In other words, the FAST-led government did not carry out a 'coup', but rather they acted in a way which was necessary to prevent one.
It is best to first address the claims made by the Office of the Attorney-General alleging that the swearing-in ceremony was "unconstitutional".