CoveragePost
August 30, 2025
By Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai, RNZ Pacific journalist in Apia, Samoa Samoa’s electoral commissioner Toleafoa Tuiafelolo Alexander Stanley told the media the official count kicks off on Monday then next Friday is when official results are expected. The election, described as the most unpredictable in Samoa’s history, had no clear favourite going in given the governing party ... <a title="Samoa snap election: No results just yet, says electoral commissioner" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/30/samoa-snap-election-no-results-just-yet-says-electoral-commissioner/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa snap election: No results just yet, says electoral commissioner">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 29, 2025
Voting commenced in Samoa’s general election today, with more than 100,000 eligible voters heading to the polls to decide the country’s next government. A total of 187 candidates will contest 50 seats in Parliament, representing six political parties and 46 independents. The governing FAST Party leads the field with 58 candidates, followed closely by the ... <a title="Polls open in Samoa’s 2025 general election with one seat declared" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/29/polls-open-in-samoas-2025-general-election-with-one-seat-declared/" aria-label="Read more about Polls open in Samoa’s 2025 general election with one seat declared">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 27, 2025
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist The President of Bougainville, Ishmael Toroama, says he is not feeling the pressure as he seeks a second five-year term in office. Bougainville goes to the polls next Thursday, September 4, with 404 candidates vying for 46 seats in the Parliament of the autonomous Papua New Guinea region. ... <a title="Bougainville’s President Ishmael Toroama candid and relaxed a week out from polling" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/27/bougainvilles-president-ishmael-toroama-candid-and-relaxed-a-week-out-from-polling/" aria-label="Read more about Bougainville’s President Ishmael Toroama candid and relaxed a week out from polling">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 27, 2025
By Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai, RZ Pacific reporter in Apia, Samoa Pre-polling has kicked off in Samoa today, with around 1700 people expected to cast their votes ahead of Friday’s polling day. At the Tuana’imato Sports Complex in the capital, Apia, the atmosphere was upbeat as special voters began arriving. Special voters include those from Savai’i, the ... <a title="Samoa general election: Pre-polling kicks off" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/27/samoa-general-election-pre-polling-kicks-off/" aria-label="Read more about Samoa general election: Pre-polling kicks off">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 25, 2025
COMMENTARY: By Asofou So’o Although seven political parties have officially registered to contest Samoa’s general election this Friday, three have been politically visible through their campaign activities and are likely to share among them the biggest slice of the Parliament’s 51 seats. The question on everyone’s lips is: which one of them will win enough ... <a title="Gearing up for the 2025 Samoan general election – three-way split?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/25/gearing-up-for-the-2025-samoan-general-election-three-way-split/" aria-label="Read more about Gearing up for the 2025 Samoan general election – three-way split?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 16, 2025
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Elizabeth Tako Palin is one of five women contesting the Bougainville North women’s reserved seat next month. It was previously held by Amanda Masono, who has chosen to contest the open Atolls seat, which was once held by her father. The autonomous Papua New Guinea region is holding ... <a title="‘I believe I can’: Elizabeth Palin runs for Bougainville North women’s seat" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/16/i-believe-i-can-elizabeth-palin-runs-for-bougainville-north-womens-seat/" aria-label="Read more about ‘I believe I can’: Elizabeth Palin runs for Bougainville North women’s seat">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 15, 2025
By Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai, RNZ Pacific journalist Former Pacific candidates and new faces are putting their names forward for this year’s Auckland local government election in Aotearoa. The final confirmed list of candidates is out. In the Manukau ward, Councillor Lotu Fuli, one of three current Auckland councillors of Pacific descent, has also served on the ... <a title="‘We need to be involved’: Pasifika candidates running in Auckland local election" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/15/we-need-to-be-involved-pasifika-candidates-running-in-auckland-local-election/" aria-label="Read more about ‘We need to be involved’: Pasifika candidates running in Auckland local election">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 30, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonia’s population has shrunk to 264,596 over the past six years, the latest census, conducted in April and May 2025, has revealed. This compares to the previous census, conducted in 2019, which recorded a population of 271,400 in the French Pacific territory. To explain the ... <a title="New Caledonia’s population drops to below 265,000, census reveals" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/07/30/new-caledonias-population-drops-to-below-265000-census-reveals/" aria-label="Read more about New Caledonia’s population drops to below 265,000, census reveals">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 27, 2025
INTERVIEW: By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist One of the first women to hold an open seat in Bougainville, Theonila Roka Matbob, is confident she can win again. Bougainville goes to the polls in the first week of September, and Roka Matbob aims to hold on to her Ioro seat in central Bougainville, where ... <a title="Bougainville woman Cabinet minister battling nine men to hold her seat" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/07/27/bougainville-woman-cabinet-minister-battling-nine-men-to-hold-her-seat/" aria-label="Read more about Bougainville woman Cabinet minister battling nine men to hold her seat">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 23, 2025
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A longtime Bougainville politician, Joe Lera, wants to see widespread changes in the way the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) is run. The Papua New Guinea region, which is seeking independence from Port Moresby, is holding elections in the first week of September. Seven candidates are running for president, ... <a title="Veteran Bougainville politician wants new approach to independence and development" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/07/23/veteran-bougainville-politician-wants-new-approach-to-independence-and-development/" aria-label="Read more about Veteran Bougainville politician wants new approach to independence and development">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 16, 2025
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist More than 400 candidates have put their hands up to contest the Bougainville general election in September, hoping to enter Parliament. Incumbent President Ishmael Toroama is among the 404 people lining up to win a seat. Bougainville is involved in the process of achieving independence from Papua New ... <a title="Bougainville election: More than 400 candidates vie for parliament" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/07/16/bougainville-election-more-than-400-candidates-vie-for-parliament/" aria-label="Read more about Bougainville election: More than 400 candidates vie for parliament">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 8, 2025
RNZ Pacific The Bougainville election process begins today with the issuance of the writs yesterday. Nominations open Tuesday, July 8, and close on Thursday, July 10. Voting is scheduled for one week starting on September 2, allowing seven weeks of campaigning. Candidates will be vying for a total of 46 seats, with the autonomous Parliament ... <a title="Bougainville election process begins as writs issued for September poll" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/07/08/bougainville-election-process-begins-as-writs-issued-for-september-poll/" aria-label="Read more about Bougainville election process begins as writs issued for September poll">Read more</a>