Editor,

I knew it! I knew it! I'’m almost as good as I thought. I beg your forgiveness for tooting my own horn and bursting in a cruel chuckle, but I believe I saw this coming. The Temos seems to be ripping apart at the seams. The friendship and camaraderie seems to be fading in a group that seemed inseparable a couple years back. How ironic! One's perception of things changes based on where he stands. Not long ago, Mr. Senituli, Mr. Pohiva and Mr. Sevele were sharing the same platform, which called for immediate change in the government, in opposition to Mr. Clive Edwards. Now that they are split on both sides of the aisle, their perceptions of the same thing are miles apart.

It is interesting to see how Mr. Senituli's perspective has changed from an opposition hardliner to a staunch supporter of the current regime. I guess politics works in mysterious ways as well. I also wish he had left me out of this disagreement. He did not mention my name but he talked about my primary school education. For the record, I wanted to continue my education but the GPS Fotua'’s principal told my parents that I could not come back to the fourth grade. Fifteen year old boys should be in high school instead.

In the past few years since the organization of this movement toward democracy, the prominent players have not organized a drive to enlist inputs from the citizens regarding their views of what the new constitution should be like. They want to change this and change that, but failed to recognize change is determined by the Constitution. With an indecisive bunch like these, who would want them to lead? I am beginning to suspect, their tactical approach to this change is the 'scream loud and loude'” technique. It is a shame they have not caught on. They must know something we don'’t.

The proponents of the '“Talanoa' are pushing forward with their agenda and seem to be working well. On the other hand, Mr. Pohiva and company are impatient for they want change now as they did five years ago. Their efforts seem promising now since they have an insider (Mr. Clive Edwards, the former Minister of Police, remember him?) in their corner. Someone evidently is not paying attention to what is going on around them. The constant threat thrown at the government by this group is getting so comical it is borderlines with public nuisance.

We all want change, but we would like to have it in an orderly manner. In the event Mr. Pohiva and company do not know, people (both local and overseas) are responding well to the 'Talanoa'” approach. They like being part of the process. People are not as dumb as they look. Then again, I may be wrong. They keep sending back to Parliament the same people who'’d rather scream loud and louder. That, I wonder about both.

TamaFoa