Second election

Samoa in constitutional crisis says former and longest serving AG

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.

Parties consider strategies for a second election in Samoa

It was ordered by the Head of State as means to break the deadlock, with the ruling HRPP and the Opposition FAST party tied on 26 parliamentary seats apiece.

The move has been condemned by the FAST party as unconstitutional, but until the court passes down its decisions, candidates are left with little option but to push ahead on the assumption that the Samoan people will go back to the polls in 11 days' time.

So will either of the two main parties change their strategy this time?

New candidates barred from second Samoan poll

The head of state called a new election after April's election wound up in a protracted deadlock, with the two sides on 26 seats each.

According to the writs issued by the head of state, only candidates who contested April's election can run in this month's one.

If any of the nearly 200 candidates don't want to go a second round, they have until tomorrow to withdraw.

The second election is scheduled to be held on May the 21st.

But that remains uncertain, with the FAST party today filing a Supreme Court challenge to the Head of State's decision.