general elections

Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese allowed petitioners and respondents a further week to get their arguments and counter petitions in order.

The Electoral Commission and candidates from the incumbent HRPP and newcomer FAST parties are accused of breaches of campaign practices in the run-up to the election, which was nearly a month ago.

After the recent ballot, the incumbent HRPP and newcomer FAST parties have 26 seats each in parliament.

Auckland University's Pacific jurisprudence specialist Tamasailau Suaalii said the massive swing of support away from Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi and his HRPP party shows a desire for change.

They had wanted the rival HRPP winning candidate in the Fa'asaleleaga 5 constituency, Peseta Vaifou Tevagaena, declared ineligible to sit in parliament, because of a criminal conviction that hadn't been disclosed to the Electoral Commission.

But the lawyers today asked the Supreme Court to withdraw the challenge after realising they had had their wires crossed.

Our correspondent, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, said the charges Peseta had faced carried penalties that would not have barred him from entering parliament.

The Electoral Commissioner Faimalōmatumua Mathew Lemisio said they would face legal action.

Double voting surfaced during the official count for Sagaga 2 constituency that started Tuesday and was put on hold as officials examined the double-voting issue.

The Office said there were 39 instances of double voting.

It is suspected that those people voted in last Friday's election after casting their vote in the pre-polls that ran in the four days prior.

Provisional results over the weekend put the governing Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) and the newly-formed Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) in a tie, with each holding 25 of the 51 parliamentary seats, and independent candidate Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio holding the final seat.

The final and official count started on Monday.

This count, and the inevitable horse-trading which follows, will determine which of these two political parties will govern for the next five years.

By 11pm last night, all special votes had finally been sorted to the electoral constituencies - all done in the presence of official scrutineers.

Provisional results over the weekend had the two main political parties, the HRPP, and the newly formed FAST party tied each at 25 seats in the 51 seat parliament.

In a special programme aired on social media last night, Electoral Commissioner Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio urged patience as they go through the process of the final count.

The error had independent Tautua Party candidate Tamaleta Taimang Jensen at the top of the Vaimauga No 2.

The Commission listed the new provisional results Saturday night which led to incumbent HRPP MP Lenatai Victor declared the winner.

He received 957 votes to Tamaleta's 793.

The change means the Human Rights Protection Party, HRPP, and the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi, FAST, are again tied on 25 seats, with independent candidate, Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio, holding one seat as the potential king-maker.

TV1 Samoa reported Electoral Commissioner said all ballot boxes destined for booths around the country had been made locally with local materials.

Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio said the boxes were all made of plywood and had no hidden compartments.

He said all boxes were made in 2016 and used for the last General Elections.

Faimalomatumua also said that no one had cast votes yet after social media posts suggested some overseas-based seasonal workers had already cast their votes.

The caucus of Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi, or FAST, party was united in the decision to elect Fiame leader during a meeting on Tuesday.

Former HRPP MP and Speaker, Laauli Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt, is now deputy leader.

Fiame is the daughter of the first Prime Minister, the late Mata'afa Fiame Faumuina Mulinu'u II.

She is the second woman to take the leadership of a political party after one of her aunts, former MP and founding member of the HRPP party, Matatumua Maimoana Vermullen, founded and led the Samoa All People's party in the 80s.

This week the party held a ceremony to welcome the Fiame as representative of the Lotofaga constituency.

Fiame was a longtime member of the ruling HRPP but left the government last year due to her opposition to three bills changing the Constitution and empowering the administration of the Lands and Titles court.

The former deputy PM's constituency took part in the ceremony where Fiame was officially presented to the newly established Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi which was founded by another former HRPP minister and former speaker, Laauli Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt.