Constitutional crisis

The FAST party, its leader Fiame Naomi Mata'afa and a large number of supporters gathered in a tent on the lawn in front of parliament house in Apia, where there was a heavy police presence. The officers were unarmed and wearing green shirts, RNZ Pacific's correspondent said.

But the doors to the building were locked, with the clerk of the house and speaker of parliament insisting there is no sitting today - a decision that directly contravenes a Supreme Court order.

Taulapapa Brenda Heather, who served as Attorney General from 1997 to 2006, said it became a crisis when the Electoral Commission added a sixth woman to parliament in a move it said was to meet the country's gender quota.

"It's been compounded by then the Head of State calling for fresh elections and purporting to void or revoke the electoral results from the actual election on April 9," Taulapapa said.