The Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) refuses to back down without a fight in trying to win back the seat of the only constituency to go through a by-election on the big island of Savai'i. 

On Thursday, the party revealed that they have recruited a candidate for the constituency of Falealupo, putting rumors and reports to rest that the Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) candidate, Fuiono Tenina Crichton will run unopposed in the upcoming by-election.

The H.R.P.P. candidate, Tuitogamanaia Dr. Peniamina Le'avai, may be a novice to the world of politics, stepping into the political arena for the first time, but politics is already an established domain in the Leavai family, as his father, A'e'au Dr. Peniamina Leavai served as a Member of Parliament and represented Falealupo in the Legislative Assembly for more than two decades.  

Tuitogamanaia is a well-known Dentist who runs his own clinic and is the son of Samoa's longest-serving Opposition member, A'eau Peniamina Le'avai and the brother of Leota A'eau Tima Le'avai, who was the victor of Falealupo's seat in April's election.

The former ruling party initially secured the seat of Falealupo following April's election when the lone female candidate won with a total of 467 votes.

Second to her was her F.A.S.T. rival Fuiono, who collected 347 ballots.

However, Fuiono had filed a petition against the victor, Leota which led then ended up with the former elected M.P. for Falealupo, resigning from office as part of a bargain with Fuiono to drop a post-election petition against her. 

Leota also agreed to forego the by-election giving her rival the freeway to contest in the run.

However, the resignation of Leota and the endorsement of Fuiono to run unopposed was not supported by others of the constituency, therefore those who opposed were banished from the village. 

Following Leota's resignation from office in July, close to a hundred constituents of Falealupo traveled over to Upolu to officially present Fuiono to the Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) camp as their candidate for the by-election, claiming that the constituency had unanimously agreed that "there will be no by-election" and that Fuiono Tenina would "run unopposed."

In a recent interview, Fuiono Tenina said that he was up for the challenge should anyone from his constituency wished to challenge him in the upcoming election. 

Fuiono Tenina said that he was only following the wishds of the elders and matai of the constituency who have asked him to be their "tofi" (representative) in Parliament for this parliamentary term. 

The H.R.P.P. camp has also introduced their two candidates vying for the seat of Sagaga No.2 for their upcoming by-election next month. 

They are Maulolo Tavita Amosa and Faamausili Siona.