A nurse Fa'agaseali'i Sapoa Feagiai and former Manu Samoa coach Faleomavaega Titimaea Tafua will go head to head in the Aleipata-Itupa-i-Lalo seat by-election at the end of next month.

The Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) announced its endorsement of Fa'agaseali'i, who is a registered nurse by profession and worked for the National Kidney Foundation for many years, early this week.

It is not the first time for Fa'agaseali'i to run for public office as she also contested the 2016 General Election but was unsuccessful.

Faleomavaega has been endorsed by H.R.P.P. rivals, Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) party.

The outcome of the seven by-elections  – combined with a constitutional requirement that 10 per cent of elected Members of Parliament are women – would play a decisive role in the makeup of the XVII Parliament and ultimately determine whether F.A.S.T. can maintain its majority to stay in Government for the next five years.

In an announcement on Monday night through their social media platforms, the 15-month-old party announced that Faleomavaega was their candidate for the seat’s by-election.

Faleomavaega, better known as "Dicky", coached the Manu Samoa 7s to the H.S.B.C. International 7s Series winning the Wellington Leg in 2007 and also coached the Manu Samoa's XV to a first-ever win over the Australian Wallabies in Australia in 2011.

He also coached the Manu Samoa when it qualified for the 2019 World Cup in Japan. Fuimaono is also a certified and senior referee of the Samoa Referees Association. 

The Aleipata-Itupa-i-Lalo seat was initially won by the H.R.P.P. in the April general election. But its winning candidate Fiugalu Eteuati was later found guilty of bribery and treating allegations by the Supreme Court in July, after the former holder of the seat, Tafua Maluelue Tafua filed a petition against his election victory.

The Court ruled that the 13 allegations of bribery and treating leveled against the H.R.P.P. Member-elect were proven beyond reasonable doubt during the proceedings and subsequently ordered the by-election.

The by-election polling date for the seven constituencies including Aleipata-Itupa-i-Lalo has been pushed back to the last week of November after the Speaker released revised dates. 

A warrant for the by-election for Sagaga No.2, Aana Alofi No.2, Falealili No.2 and Aleipata-Itupa-i-Lalo is to be issued by the Speaker on 29 October 2021. Pre-Polling Day will be done on 24 November 2021 with polling-day proper conducted on 26 November 2021.