The leader of Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) party said they are puzzled by requests from the Tautua Samoa party for “discussion and agreement to partner after election”. 

“I don’t know how we can work together when in fact not one of their candidates won a seat,” said the Leader of F.A.S.T. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa during a press conference. 

So I am not sure what they are talking about and how we can work together.”

Last week, Tautua Samoa’s Party leader, Afualo Luagalau Dr. Wood Salele said that verbal agreements for cooperation had not been honoured by F.A.S.T. 

“But it’s not surprising at all they would go back on their word, and that is working and supporting each other after the election,” said Afualo. 

However Fiame told the media she was not aware about any “negotiations” between Tautua and F.A.S.T. 

Last week, a post on the official Tautua Samoa Party 2021 Facebook page called for input from party supporters. 

“It’s about time we work together and make our mark. [The] F.A.S.T. [party] did not honor our discussion and agreement to partner after the election but they turn around and go against the Tautua Party during the election, this is why we will go bigger and better by having candidates for every district in Samoa,” the post stated

Afualo told the Samoa Observer that prior to the election that they had a “verbal agreement” which included giving F.A.S.T. the priority in terms of their candidates running from the different constituencies. 

“And in return, we will be working together after the election, if we won seats, but because we did not things were different, from then on,” he said.

The social media post further states that Tautua never asked for any money for the 2021 election, yet other parties asked for “millions from the people to change the Government” while others still have millions to maintain control. 

“Tautua Samoa only asks for all of us to unite together under God['s] grace to change the Government through [the] Tautua party,” the internet statement read.

“[We] will update the list of our candidates that will be running from all 51 Districts in Samoa for the next election (re-election 2021) so that we can work together for a new Government.”