H.R.P.P. secures Fa'asaleleaga 5 seat

By Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong 08 November 2020, 12:00PM

The Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) has already secured one seat in Parliament five months before the nation goes to the polls for the General Election. 

The seat is at Fa’asaleleaga 5 where the Deputy Leader of the Samoa National Democratic Party (S.N.D.P.), Vui Seinafolava Masinamua, had planned to contest. On Friday, however, Vui who would have been the sole rival to three H.R.P.P. candidates vying for the seat, withdrew his petition.

Those who had their nominations approved for the 2021 General Election to run from the electorate are Matafeo Reupena Matafeo, incumbent Member of Parliament Peseta Vaifou Tevagaena and Vui Laniselota Lameko.

The Satupaitea seat would make up the second seat dominated by the H.R.P.P. if independent candidate, Tavui Asiata Salevao opts to pledge his loyalty to H.R.P.P.  Tavui will be challenging incumbent M.P. for Satupaitea and Minister of Public Enterprises, Lautafi Selafi Purcell. 

All other seats in Savai’i have a balance of candidates from Fa’atuatua ile Atua ua Tasi (F.A.S.T), Tautua Samoa and Samoa First to compete against the dominant H.R.P.P. 

In Upolu, there are four certain seats that a candidate from the H.R.P.P. will reserve for the next parliamentary term if the electoral petitions against two of the uncontested seats occupied by the ruling party do not succeed. 

Those two seats include the Faleata 3 and Sagaga 1 electoral constituency which the Electoral Commissioner declared the incumbent M.P. from the electorates being unopposed during nomination. 

However, the seats are being challenged in the Supreme Court after two candidates for Faleata 3 had their nomination rejected and one from the Sagaga 1 seat. 

Aside from the legal challenge, the Vaimauga I seat has a full house of H.R.P.P. candidates. 

The fourth constituency where all three candidates have thrown their full support behind the H.R.P.P. is the Aleipata Itupa i Luga seat.  

Perhaps the only constituency that wont go to poll and the only candidate that will have nothing to worry about in the upcoming election is the veteran M.P. for Lotofaga, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa. 

The former Deputy Prime Minister that has endorsed F.A.S.T. is the single listed candidate for Lotofaga in April 2021 with no legal challenge to question her eligibility qualification. 

 

By Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong 08 November 2020, 12:00PM

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