Samoa’s Head of State, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, has issued the official call to convene Parliament on Monday, May 24, 2021, exactly 45 days after the April 9, general elections.
After much legal hustling, Samoa will not only be welcoming a new government but also its first female Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, the daughter of Samoa’s first PM after independence, Faumuina Mulinuu Mataafa.
The Court of Appeal today rejected an application by the Electoral Commissioner and Aliimalemanu Alofa Tu’u’au to stay a Supreme Court decision from last week.
That decision declared null and void Aliimalemanu”s appointment to Parliament.
The Election Commissioner had appointed Aliimalemanu to hold the seat reserved for women after deciding that the 5 female candidates who were elected in the general elections did not meet the 10% threshold for women MPs required by law.
FAST challenged that decision as unlawful and the Supreme Court agreed.
The Election Commissioner and Aliimalemanu then asked the court for a stay of execution.
The dismissal of their application today paves the way for the Head of state to call Parliament to meet for the swearing in of members.
The official call was issued late this afternoon and Parliament is to meet at 9:30 am Monday.
At that first meeting of the 17th Parliament, Monday there’ll be an e,edition for speaker and a prime minister. it is expected that Faatuatua I le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party will take the reigns of government on account of their party having 26 seats to 25 for the Human Rights Protection Party, led by caretaker prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.
This would bring to an end a nearly 40 year stint for HRPP, and ending an almost 30 year tenure for Tuilaepa as PM.
