CoveragePost
July 27, 2021
RNZ Pacific Samoa’s new FAST Party government has got down to work this morning, meeting with the heads of government departments, more than 100 days after it had won the election. FAST MPs were forced to swear themselves in because the Head of State had barred them from entering Parliament. The court ruled that the ... <a title="Samoa’s FAST party gets quickly down to work after court ruling" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/27/samoas-fast-party-gets-quickly-down-to-work-after-court-ruling/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa’s FAST party gets quickly down to work after court ruling">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 15, 2021
EDITORIAL: By the Samoa Observer editorial board When Australia’s second-longest ever serving Prime Minister faced a complete wipeout at the national elections after 10 years in power — even being voted out of his own seat — he realised that he had lost but only as part of a process much bigger than he was. ... <a title="Samoa Observer: For Tuila’epa, what follows defeat?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/15/samoa-observer-for-tuilaepa-what-follows-defeat/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa Observer: For Tuila’epa, what follows defeat?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 13, 2021
RNZ Pacific Samoa’s HRPP party — the country’s caretaker government — has now lost six seats since the April 9 general election, with eight byelections to come. The incoming FAST Party government holds 26 seats to the HRPP’s 19. FAST, which won the election but has been stymied in its efforts to assume power by ... <a title="Samoa’s HRPP loses more seats as political impasse drags on" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/13/samoas-hrpp-loses-more-seats-as-political-impasse-drags-on/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa’s HRPP loses more seats as political impasse drags on">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 8, 2021
RNZ Pacific The FAST Party in Samoa has filed an application with the Supreme Court to have it recognise an impromptu swearing-in ceremony of elected members of the new political party. At the beginning of last week the court ruled the ceremony illegal as the Head of State was not present. But it said Parliament ... <a title="FAST to ask Samoa judges to recognise impromptu swearing in" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/08/fast-to-ask-samoa-judges-to-recognise-impromptu-swearing-in/" aria-label="Read more about FAST to ask Samoa judges to recognise impromptu swearing in">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 26, 2021
RNZ Pacific The Court of Appeal in Samoa says its ruling from June 2 on the sixth women’s seat cannot be used to delay the convening of Parliament. The court had said a sixth woman is required to satisfy the constitutional requirements but that any decision on this be delayed until after the electoral petition ... <a title="Samoa’s FAST gets Appeal Court election clarification it wanted" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/26/samoas-fast-gets-appeal-court-election-clarification-it-wanted/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa’s FAST gets Appeal Court election clarification it wanted">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 18, 2021
By Soli Wilson in Apia A Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) associate minister has had his seat of Sagaga 2 in the Samoa general election declared void by the Supreme Court following a legal challenge, triggering a byelection. This means previously elected Member of Parliament Seiuli Ueligitone Seiuli, a member of the HRPP has been ... <a title="Samoan court declares Sagaga 2 seat void – 26-24 balance for FAST" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/18/samoan-court-declares-sagaga-2-seat-void-26-24-balance-for-fast/" aria-label="Read more about Samoan court declares Sagaga 2 seat void – 26-24 balance for FAST">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 10, 2021
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk In the latest twist in Samoa’s political rollercoaster, the FAST party has accused the rival HRPP leader of contempt of court, reports Pacific Media Network News. Tuila’epa Dr Sa’ilele Malielegaoi has been accused of ignoring a Supreme Court ruling to convene Parliament, when FAST should have been sworn in as government. ... <a title="Samoa’s caretaker PM Tuila’epa sued for contempt of court" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/10/samoas-caretaker-pm-tuilaepa-sued-for-contempt-of-court/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa’s caretaker PM Tuila’epa sued for contempt of court">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 8, 2021
RNZ Pacific Samoa’s Prime Minister-elect, FAST party leader Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, says negotiations remain at an impasse between her party and the rival Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). The parties met yesterday in Apia to try and resolve the stalemate resulting from the April 9 election. In a statement last night, Fiame maintained that FAST ... <a title="Samoa leadership talks fail to resolve political impasse" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/08/samoa-leadership-talks-fail-to-resolve-political-impasse/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa leadership talks fail to resolve political impasse">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 5, 2021
EDITORIAL: By the Samoa Observer editorial board Buoyed as he is by [Wednesday’s] court decision, Samoa’s caretaker Prime Minister has shown a character flaw weighing down upon our national politics: an inability to face up to hard truths. Despite Tuilaepa Dr Sa’ilele Malielegaoi having just alleged the judiciary was conspiring against him, the Appellate Court ... <a title="Samoa Observer: For Tuilaepa, the truth hurts" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/05/samoa-observer-for-tuilaepa-the-truth-hurts/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa Observer: For Tuilaepa, the truth hurts">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 3, 2021
RNZ Pacific The leaders of Samoa’s two main political parties have finally found something to agree upon since the April 9 general election – they will meet. Following yesterday’s Court of Appeal ruling, both the caretaker prime minister Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi and prime minister-elect, FAST Party leader Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, announced they plan to meet. ... <a title="Samoa’s two leaders both keen to meet following appeal court ruling" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/03/samoas-two-leaders-both-keen-to-meet-following-appeal-court-ruling/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa’s two leaders both keen to meet following appeal court ruling">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 3, 2021
EDITORIAL: By the editorial board of the Samoa Observer Samoa’s 59th Independence Day has come and gone, without the usual fanfare and intense patriotism we have grown accustomed to from previous years. What we’ve seen for the last few weeks and indeed months has tested the strength of our democracy at the highest of levels ... <a title="Samoa Observer: Democracy tested as Samoa celebrates independence" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/03/samoa-observer-democracy-tested-as-samoa-celebrates-independence/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa Observer: Democracy tested as Samoa celebrates independence">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 3, 2021
RNZ Pacific A Court of Appeal decision today may pave the way for the FAST party to assume control of the Samoan government. Samoa’s Court of Appeal has voided the legal challenge by a Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) women’s candidate, who said she was wrongly removed as an MP. Ali’imalemanu Alofa Tuuau had been ... <a title="Samoan court voids appeal over additional women’s seat" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/03/samoan-court-voids-appeal-over-additional-womens-seat/" aria-label="Read more about Samoan court voids appeal over additional women’s seat">Read more</a>