Red faces over Samoa leader's 13th row seat

A diplomatic faux pas has forced Auckland City into an apology after Samoa's deputy prime minister was seated more than 10 rows back at the Pasifika Festival opening night concert.

Herman Retzlaff - whose chiefly title is Hon. Misa Telefoni - was in Auckland to lead the Samoan delegation at the festival.

According to organisers, he was seated with his entourage in the sixth row, behind MPs, councillors, and members of the festival's governance group.

But Mr Retzlaff told the Herald On Sunday he was further back, around row 13 or 14.

After realising the error, council staff offered to move him to the third row, but he refused. While he was not greatly offended by the incident, Mr Retzlaff said others in his entourage were.

"Personally I would say there was no insult but the Samoan people may have been insulted," he said.

"If you have a Pacific festival then you would think the deputy prime minister from another country would rate just after Helen Clark. Certainly if Michael Cullen were in Samoa he wouldn't be in the 13th row, I can absolutely assure you of that. He would be sitting next to our Prime Minister."

When the seating was discovered Mr Retzlaff's advisers suggested he leave, but he declined.

"We have a saying in Samoa that the dignity belongs to the person, not the seat he sits in. You can take a fly and dress it up like something nice but it's still a fly."

Despite the faux pas, Mr Retzlaff applauded the spirit of the festival.

Auckland City Council leisure services manager Paul Heron - who was responsible for the seating arrangements - admitted Mr Retzlaff had been seated "a bit further back than we intended".

The council had apologised for the "oversight" and would make a formal apology next week.

"It was a mistake we made and we apologise for. It was regrettable," Mr Heron said.

- Herald on Sunday