The elected Member of Parliament for Safata No.1, Leaana Ronnie Posini is considering a counter petition after rival Afemata Palusalue Fa’apo II filed an electoral petition against him last week. 

In a brief telephone interview with Leaana he said “I’m talking to my lawyers about it”. 

Afemata told the Samoa Observer that his electoral petition against Leaana is due to alleged corrupt practices leading up to the election day. 

Asked if his constituency had appealed to him to withdraw his petition and he replied that he is not aware of it. 

The former leader of the Tautua Samoa Party who switched allegiances to join the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) for the 2021 General Election, was behind by 286 votes in the final count last month. 

His rival Leaana who contested under the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) banner took the lead, collecting 1037 ballots while Afemata recorded 751 votes.  

Afemata and Leaana are old foes who have been competing over the last two General Elections, over the Safata West seat (as it was known) now renamed Safata No.1. 

The third candidate who contested for the seat is Tafafunai Aialii Anapu who managed to collect 473 votes. 

The total number of valid votes from the constituency is 2261, with some 22 votes recorded as informal. 

Leaana first entered Parliament in 2016 when he defeated the former Tautua Samoa party leader who had run under his Palusalue title. 

Shortly after that election period, Afemata fielded an electoral petition against Leaana, alleging bribery. 

However on the day the hearing was scheduled to proceed, Afemata, a former Cabinet Minister, withdrew his petition in the spirit of “forgiveness” and the parties reconciling. 

There were 28 electoral petitions filed at the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration (M.J.C.A.) last Friday. 

The cases will be called for mention on Tuesday this week. 

Ten of those petitions were filed by F.A.S.T. against H.R.P.P. winners, 11 from H.R.P.P. against F.A.S.T., plus three petitions from H.R.P.P. against their own colleagues, two from Independents against both H.R.P.P. and F.A.S.T. candidates and two from Tautua Samoa Party against F.A.S.T. winners. 

Counter petitions must be filed within five days after the respondents have been served, expiring on Friday this week.