legal challenge

The Head of State last week called for a second election as a way to break a month-long deadlock between the caretaker Human Rights Protection Party government and the newcomer FAST party, that has prevented a new government being formed.

The move toward a second election came after advice from the caretaker prime minister, after no clear winner arose from the country's election last month.

The FAST party has called the move toward a second election unconstitutional, and filed a challenge in the Supreme Court seeking to have the head of state's decision thrown out.

Kanaloa Pasifika is threatening court action after missing out on a place in the 2022 competition.

The Auckland-based Moana Pasifika bid and a Fiji-led delegation have been chosen to join the competition, alongside the existing five teams from New Zealand and five from Australia.

But Kanaloa Pasifika claimed New Zealand Rugby breached its own rules by appointing Moana Pasifika as a Primary Partner when the group did not take part in the formal tender process.