Samoa rings changes to electoral law

The Samoan Parliament has amended the Electoral Act 2019 following a late night sitting on Tuesday.

The changes were pushed through under urgency, bypassing the parliamentary committee screenings process.

The amendments address some of the issues raised during the recent election petition court hearings.

They involve candidate eligibility and the government has sought to clarify this

By-elections are set to be held in seven constituencies.

All seven seats were won by candidates standing for the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which is now the opposition.

One change made is the provision for special voting booths in Apia for eligible voters from electorates outside of the capital.

They had been required to travel to their electorates to vote in the April poll - something voters found inconvenient and costly.

Candidate residency qualifications were also changed with emphasis put on "monotaga" or traditional service in the village.

Parliament is now in recess until Tuesday, December 14.

 

Photo Parliament of Samoa  Caption: Parliament in session