The Office of the Electoral Commissioner has confirmed the date when voters of Gagaifomauga No. 3 will head to the polls to elect their Member of Parliament.

Friday 28 August this year is the date that has been set for Gagaifomauga No. 3 constituents to participate in one of the most anticipated political events of the year. 

The by-election is the result of a decision by the Speaker of Parliament, Leaupepe Tole'afoa Fa'afisi, to declare the seat vacant after La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt had verbally resigned in Parliament.

The Electoral Commissioner, Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio, confirmed the polling day for the constituency.

Nominations for candidates to contest the by-election are scheduled for next week Monday until Friday in the same week. 

The last day for withdrawal of nomination is on 14 August 2020. 

Former M.P. La’auli officially registered a new political party on Thursday this week accompanied by potential candidates flagging the party's banner in the 2021 General Election. 

The name of the party is Fa’atuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) is the seventh party and was established by La’auli to fulfill the wish of his constituency to leave the Human Rights Protection Party and form another one. 

It was also his constituency’s wish not to tender his written resignation to the Speaker following a verbal resignation in June’s parliament session. 

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commissioner confirmed that there are initial discussions on the issue of free ferry rides for voters heading to poll in Gagaifomauga no3 in the last week of August. 

However, he pointed out “we are also mindful of the fact that the transportation of voters is an offense under the Electoral Act 2019”. 

According to Faimalo the official electoral data recorded 180 voters from the electoral constituency residing in Upolu but voting in Savaii. 

“The rest of the 1,400 plus voters on this roll reside and vote in Savaii,” he added. 

In the 2016 general election, the Gagaifomauga no3 constituency has a roll of 1096 voters not including seven informal votes. 

The concern on the expenses for voters from Savaii residing in Upolu was raised in the last parliament session where several Members of Parliament asked for the Government’s assistance for free travel. 

Electoral Commissioner Faimalo said there are a total of about 4000 voters who vote in Savaii vut are residents of various villages in Upolu.