The Electoral Commissioner, Tuiafelolo John Stanley, was unavailable for the Samoa Election Reporting Training hosted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) through the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS).

When approached by the Samoa Observer, Tuiafelolo confirmed he was unavailable for the entire week and said he would be available next week. He stated that he only received the invitation to the training on Tuesday, the same day the program began.

Questions were sent to Alexander Rheeney, facilitator with the ABC’s International Development team, regarding the impact of the Electoral Commissioner’s absence on the training. No response was received.

The objective of the training was to equip local journalists with the skills needed to cover the 2025 Snap Election, from the candidate campaign period through to polling day and the formation of the new government.

According to PACMAS, the three-day training covered election coverage strategies, inclusive reporting, candidate interviews, handling misinformation and disinformation, and the application of the Samoa Editorial Code of Practice during an election period.

The Ministry of Police Faualo Harry Schuster and the Chief Justice, Satiu Simativa Perese, were present to brief journalists on their preparations for the 29 August election. The training concluded on Thursday.