Transcript
This month, the three branches of the family in Samoa seemingly reached an agreement on who should hold the paramount title, unanimously deciding to bestow it on Papali'itele Faamausili Moli.
But one family matai, Papali'i Titiuatoa Malietoa, who is adamant that is not the case and says he sought support from others.
"Well at the moment, to let you know that, the majority of descendents, direct descendants of Malietoa Tanumafili II, it's all in one house now. I'm leading that house. He is standing alone with people we don't even know who are not even part of this family at all."
Papali'i Titiuatoa Malietoa says the majority of family members don't want him to hold the title.
"PTM: First of all, the right person is someone who cares for the family, respects and cares for the wider community of Samoa and y'know someone who can hold on to the family and get the family together. That is what samoa is all about and we believe we have that person on our side.
SV:And that person is not Faamausili Moli?
"PTM: I just said he is not on our side, and he is standing alone."
Papali'i Titiuatoa Malietoa says he is already known to the courts as Samoa's Lands and Titles court initially stripped the Malietoa paramount matai title from Papali'itele Faamausili Moli.
He says they will go down the legal route to ensure he doesn't get it.
"We are already objecting to it. And we are about to put through an application for a court order to stop all this until what I told you, is that we already know that the law will respect what we are saying. It is not [about] what they are trying to do."
Our correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia says everyone recognises the Malietoa title as one of the highest most prestigious chiefly titles in Samoa.
"It is a very powerful title. It has authority on land, it has authority on people and that is why it is so highly respected. And so that is why people want to take that title."
He says he won't be surprised if one day a woman is considered for it.
"From the beginning of the title looking at the history of the Malietoa, no woman has ever been bestowed with a paramount title, it is only men. But I don't know in this new generation things are getting more and very modern and so some of these other titles are now being taken by women, so why not?"
There are ongoing grumblings on social media too about his selection.
People now have up to three months to contest the person put forward for the title once it is published in the government's Savali newspaper.