Samoa's old Parliament house is to be demolished this Thursday.
In a ministerial statement in Parliament this morning Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi said the building was unsafe.
Tuilaepa said the building was made of untreated timber and expert advice to the government was that it was safer to demolish it was soon as possible.
The building was scheduled to be demolished yesterday but Speaker of the House, La'auli Polataivao, stopped the workers from carrying out the job.
Today the Speaker said he accepted the Prime Minister's explanation and stopped any debate on the matter despite efforts by the Opposition leader Palusalue Fa'apo the Second to throw the issue open to debate.
The Prime Minister also said the building was unattractive beside the new Parliament House and the new court houses west of the old Parliament building.
It took up space also, which is needed for important celebrations at Parliament grounds.
