Samoa’s first woman leader is ousted in an election following the collapse of her government
Wellington, New Zealand (AP) – Samoa The ruling party in charge will return to power with a new leader in the world after the first female prime minister has been overthrown. elections Months following this political turmoil.
The fast, the former political party of the leader Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, who was dismissed, will remain in the majority when it continues in the Pacific Island of Pacific on 16 September. However, the result will proceed in a new prime minister after a bitter fight at the party this year.
La’aulialietoa Leuatea Polatiea Polatieao Schmidt, who is currently rapidly leading, is expected to be approved as the next prime minister.
Fiamē, who has been led by Samoa since 2021, dismissed La’aulialemalieToa in January after being accused of criminal offenses as Cabinet Minister. Fast Party Chairman La’aulialeMalietoa also threw Fiamē quickly.
The minority government continued in May before it could not exceed its budget. This asked for an election before the vote planned for 2026, where he was forced to run against his former party.
The collapse of the government led to shaking in the ballot boxes
In the game of August, Fiamē campaign as the leader of the New Samoa Unifying Party, but only three seats in Parliament and broke his hopes to return as prime minister. Fast won 30 seats, the opposition Human Rights Protection Party took 14 and independent four.
Samoa’s President Tuimalealiifano Va’aletoa II.
Fiamē, who did not win eight seats needed to sit as a block in the parliament, should now decide whether he and the other two deputies will participate in one of the larger groups or enter independently.
The third contestant of the Prime Minister was Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegoi, the leader of the Human Rights Protection Party, 22 years ago. Fiamē started to work In 2021.
The election will be appealed in court
La’aulialeMalieToa’s Fast is expected to win the vote to become the prime minister of this month, but it is faced with obstacles. According to the Samoa Observer newspaper, both of Fast’s rival parties are planning to make legal movements that challenge the result by making allegations, including cash claims for votes.
Renate Rivers, a former public official of the Pacific Media Network and a former public official who welcomed votes in Samoa, said, “Just give money, no sugar coating,” he said. “This time the scale was very worrying.”
Cases are unlikely to change the election result. In addition, they are not rare in Samoa, where he came to power during a legal and constitutional crisis in 2021.
Rivers, the Prime Minister said that the criminal charges faced by the election was not seen. La’aulialeMalietoa is waiting for a decision on the charges. It involves trying to mislead the course of harassment, slander and justice by using electronic ways.
Rivers I don’t think there’s a PM or a coming PM even at the beginning of this cloud, even before he swore, “Rivers said.
Probably Victor promised less central government control
The cost of life dominated the election campaign. Voters in the small island country of approximately 220,000 people seemed to take decisions away from the central government, with the promises of Fast to increase the community development budgets at the local level.
He also promised lower taxes. La’aulialeMalietoa detectors, said he did not explain how to finance their policies.
The defeat of Fiamē and Tuila’epa pointed to a sudden change for Samoa after decades of dynasties, and Rivers, La’aulialeMalietoa’s focus can be domestic rather than the regional policies of Samoa in the Southern Pacific Ocean, which was discussed as geopolitically.
Fiamē was more cautious than his predecessor to accept loans from China for development projects. Samoa’s debt to China reflects a period in which he was measured with the percentage of GDP and that Beijing tries to shake in the Pacific by financing the infrastructure and law enforcement initiatives.
The term of office for a rare woman in Pacific politics is over
During his term of office, Fiamē drew attention as the daughter of the country’s first female prime minister and a former leader of Samoa. One of the longest -time politicians in the region and the second female leader of the Pacific Island country.
Another deputy can still enter the parliament. The law requires 10% of lawmakers to be women, and is rare for a region with the lowest rates in the world.
Samoa Observer reported that five female deputies who voted in the office are shorter than 10% of the rules and another seat could be added to adapt to the quota.
