P.S.C. apologises for error

By Staff Writer 08 January 2018, 12:00AM

The Public Service Commission (P.S.C) has corrected its newsletter of December last year, which referred to “the possibility of having a female Head of State in the future.”

They have also apologised for the error. 

The correction was made in an email from the P.S.C.’s Public Administration Sector Coordinator, Osana Liki-Ward yesterday.

The email was in response to a story on the front page of the Samoa Observer titled “Govt. considers law change to allow female as Head of State.”

The original copy of the Public Administration Newsletter for December 2017 referred to a Cabinet Directive (FK (17) 33 where the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (M.P.M.C.) had been tasked to lead the preparations for the review of the Head of State Act 1965. 

“This review was prompted by Cabinet to reflect changes made to the Constitution regarding the Head of State post,” the original newsletter reads.

“Some of these changes include but are not limited to the eligibility criteria, the number of years or the duration of service and the possibility of having a female Head of State in the future. 

“Other key changes that will be proposed deals with changing the agency responsible for administering the Head of State Act from the Legislative Assembly to the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.” 

Yesterday, the P.S.C. through Mrs. Liki-Ward said they have revised the newsletter.

 “I’ve attached our revised December edition but have included the amended article re: Constitutional changes to the Head of State Act 1965 below for ease of reference. The revised version of the newsletter has been reloaded onto the P.S.C. website also,” Mrs. Liki-Ward writes.

“We’ve removed the reference on the possibility of a female Head of State as this was incorrect information that we received last year. The Act, as it stands, does not prohibit the appointment of a female Head of State. Our apologies for this.”

The new section on the newsletter titled “Head of State Act under review” reads:

Pursuant to Cabinet Directive FK(17)33, the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (MPMC) has been tasked with the review of the Head of State Act 1965.

This review is to reflect Constitutional amendments regarding the Head of State post. These include the reappointment process after the Head of State’s first term, and the salutations of the Head of State in the Act.

The Review Instructions are being developed and will be forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office upon completion.”

By Staff Writer 08 January 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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