2025 Samoan general election
General elections were held in Samoa on 29 August 2025 to determine the composition of the 18th Parliament.[1] Initially expected to be held in 2026, Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa called a snap election after parliament voted down the government budget on 27 May 2025. The Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party came to power after the 2021 election and subsequent constitutional crisis, which ended the 22-year premiership of Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi and the nearly four-decade governance of his Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). In January 2025, Mata‘afa and four other cabinet ministers were expelled from FAST after she dismissed party chairman Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt from cabinet following his refusal to resign after being charged with criminal offences. Mata‘afa and the expelled ministers initially rejected their expulsions and claimed they were still party members. FAST subsequently split, with Schmidt leading a faction of 20 MPs while Mata‘afa led a minority government. Mata‘afa survived two no-confidence motions, one on 25 February and another on 6 March. Shortly after the election was called, Mata‘afa and her cabinet confirmed their departure from FAST and established the Samoa Uniting Party (SUP). FAST won a majority of seats, securing 30. The HRPP won 14 seats, the SUP three and four independents were successful. Background2021 general electionThe previous election, held in 2021, resulted in a tie between the HRPP and FAST, with both parties winning 25 seats. One independent, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio, won a seat and became kingmaker.[2] The HRPP had governed Samoa for almost four decades, and its leader, Tuila‘epa Sa‘ilele Malielegaoi, had been prime minister since 1998.[3][4] A major campaign issue was the passage of the controversial Land and Titles Bill by the HRPP government in 2020.[5][6] Then-HRPP MP Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt was expelled from the party due to his opposition to the bill and founded the FAST party.[7][8] Several other HRPP MPs also defected in protest of the bill,[9] including Deputy Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, who was elected to lead FAST shortly before the election.[10][11] Weeks before the poll, the HRPP passed a law requiring MPs to contest a by-election if they change their affiliation in parliament, allegedly to prevent more MPs from defecting.[12] 2021 constitutional crisisAfter the election, the HRPP and FAST negotiated with Ponifasio, seeking to win his support to form a government.[13] Ponifasio later joined FAST;[14] however, during the talks, a dispute arose over the fulfilment of the female quota. The Office of the Electoral Commission (OEC) declared the quota had not been met and appointed a sixth female member to parliament, Aliʻimalemanu Alofa Tuuau of the HRPP, resulting in a hung parliament.[15][16] Prime Minister Malielegaoi subsequently called a snap election,[17] while FAST challenged both decisions in court.[16][18] The Supreme Court overturned the fresh election call, Tuuau's appointment, and ordered parliament to convene within 45 days of the election in accordance with the constitution.[19] The O le Ao o le Malo, Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II, scheduled for parliament to convene on 24 May, the final day it could meet,[20] but later retracted the proclamation.[21] In response, the Supreme Court nullified the retraction. Malielegaoi refused to accept the results or cede power, plunging the country into a constitutional crisis.[22][23] FAST conducted an ad hoc swearing-in ceremony on 24 May outside parliament, which the HRPP refused to attend or recognise as legitimate.[24] On 23 July, the Court of Appeals ruled FAST to have been the legitimate government since 24 May, ending the crisis. The ruling confirmed Mataʻafa as Samoa's first female prime minister and ended Malielegaoi's almost 23-year tenure as head of government.[25] During the constitutional crisis, several HRPP members resigned or were stripped of their seats by the Supreme Court due to electoral petitions alleging electoral malpractice such as bribery. In the November 2021 by-elections to fill the vacancies, FAST won five seats while the HRPP only held two.[26][27] FAST won all by-elections thereafter, and by September 2023, the party had attained a two-thirds majority in parliament, with 35 seats.[28] 2025 political crisisOn 3 January 2025, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt was charged with ten criminal offences, including harassment and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice over a political smear campaign that attempted to pin an unresolved hit-and-run case on a senior politician.[29][30] Prime Minister Mataʻafa dismissed him from cabinet on 10 January after he refused to resign,[31] and sacked another three cabinet ministers, citing disloyalty.[32] On 15 January, the party removed Mataʻafa as FAST leader and expelled her, along with Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio and three other cabinet ministers from the party.[33] Mataʻafa and the ousted ministers denounced the expulsion as illegal and maintained they were still FAST members.[34] The party unanimously elected Schmidt as leader on 16 January, while Leota Laki Lamositele became deputy leader.[33] The FAST party split into two factions, with 15 MPs remaining loyal to Mataʻafa and the other 20 joining Schmidt. Mataʻafa continued as prime minister in a minority government.[35] Schmidt and his faction called on Mata‘afa to resign as prime minister but stated their opposition to a snap election.[36] No-confidence motionsOn 25 February, Mataʻafa survived a no-confidence motion filed by the HRPP, which Schmidt's faction voted against. The FAST leader opposed the motion, citing a need for parliament to focus on key legislation, including amendments to the Land and Titles Act. Schmidt, however, announced he would introduce a second motion if Mataʻafa did not resign before the end of the parliamentary sessions.[37] A week later, on 6 March, Mataʻafa defeated a second motion, which the HRPP voted against. The prime minister and her cabinet accused Speaker Papaliʻi Liʻo Taeu Masipau of lacking impartiality for approving another confidence vote only after a week. The HRPP initially negotiated with Schmidt's faction on moving a second motion but withdrew their support after the bloc refused to support a snap election.[38] Budget defeat and snap election callSchmidt's trial began on 26 May.[30] The following day, the government's budget was voted down by 34 to 16,[39] with the HRPP and Schmidt's faction voting against it.[40] Mataʻafa stated that by convention, a government's budget defeat reflects an issue of confidence in parliament[41] and, on 28 May, advised the O le Ao o le Malo to dissolve the Legislative Assembly and call a snap election,[42] bringing forward the polls originally expected for 2026.[43] Mataʻafa and her cabinet subsequently confirmed their resignations from FAST and founded the Samoa Uniting Party (SUP).[44] Following the announcement, Attorney-General Suʻa Hellene Wallwork said that the government would seek a court ruling on how to resolve inconsistencies between the Electoral Act, which requires candidates to be nominated and electoral rolls to close six months before an election, and the constitutionally required election timeline of three months.[45] At the time of parliament's dissolution, the OEC was conducting a re-registration drive of the electoral rolls. As only around 50% of eligible voters had registered, Electoral Commissioner Toleafoa Tuiafelolo Stanley requested additional time to allow more citizens to register.[46] On 6 June, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional three-month timeline and set the election for 29 August, denying the OEC's request.[1] The court also stated that the next government would need to address the inconsistencies between the Constitution and the Electoral Act.[47] FAST challenged the dissolution in court, claiming it was unlawful and that the party had a parliamentary majority to govern.[48] Shortly after the announcement, the Legislative Assembly clerk, Satama Leatisa Tala, wrote to the O le Ao o le Malo, attempting to nominate a new government. Tala mentioned the number of MPs in each party, stating that FAST held a majority despite parliament having dissolved. Mata‘afa said Tala's report had no legal validity as it was based on the composition from the beginning of the parliamentary term.[49] The O le Ao o le Malo ultimately determined that Mata‘afa's government would retain control of the executive in a caretaker capacity until after the election, in keeping with convention.[50] Electoral systemThe 2025 election will see 51 members of parliament elected from single-member constituencies via the first-past-the-post voting system.[51] The 2013 Constitutional Amendment Act mandates that at least 10% of members of parliament are women. If this quota were unfulfilled following an election, parliament must establish up to six additional seats allocated to the unsuccessful female candidates who attained the highest percentage of votes.[52] To be eligible, candidates are required to hold a matai title, have reached the age of 21 and have resided in Samoa for at least three years before the nomination deadline. Individuals convicted of a crime in Samoa or any other country within the previous eight years and people with a mental illness were ineligible to stand as candidates. Civil servants were permitted to run as long as they resigned. Should civil servants fail to do so, the date of filing their candidacy is by law deemed to be the point when they relinquish their role.[53] VotersUniversal suffrage came into effect in 1991, permitting all Samoan citizens aged 21 and older the right to vote.[54] Compulsory voting took effect at the 2021 general election.[55] Individuals who fail to cast a vote are required to pay a fine of 100 tālā. Eligible voters who do not register are liable to pay a 2000 tālā fine.[56] In April 2024, Lefau Harry Schuster, the minister responsible for the OEC, announced the commission would conduct a nationwide re-registration process, citing a need to upgrade the previous electronic enrollment system, which he said had become plagued with technical difficulties and could not accommodate new registrations. Schuster stated that Samoan citizens residing abroad who fail to register could be prosecuted upon returning to Samoa. He assured voters already enrolled were only required to undergo the biometric process. Samoan citizens overseas could register online but needed to travel to Samoa to complete the biometric stage.[57] A bill permitting citizens to cast votes outside the country was not voted on in Parliament before the dissolution, thus maintaining the requirement for voters overseas to return to Samoa to vote.[58] The electoral commissioner announced Samoans born overseas to parents who are Samoan citizens and resident abroad would be ineligible to participate in the election.[59] At the closure of voter registrations, a provisional figure showed that 102,109 of the 117,225 eligible voters or 87%, were enrolled to vote.[60] The registration total decreased to 101,981 after the OEC scrutinised the roll, which included the removal of deceased voters.[61] ScheduleThe O le Ao o le Malo formally dissolved the 17th Parliament on 3 June and issued the election writ a week later on 10 June.[62][63] The OEC released the final election timetable on 13 June. Voter enrollment closed on 4 July, while the candidate registration period commenced on 7 July and concluded on 12 July.[64] The campaign period began on 14 July and ended on 24 August. The OEC announced that campaigning outside of this period would be illegal.[43] Candidates had until 14 August to withdraw their candidacies if they intended to do so,[64] while early voting was scheduled for 27 August.[65] Per the Public Holiday Act, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour designated election day and the day before as public holidays, with the aim of maximising voter participation.[66]
Parties and candidatesSix parties contested the elections,[67] including the Human Rights Protection Party, led by former Prime Minister Tuila‘epa Sa‘ilele Malielegaoi, and the Fa‘atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi party, led by La‘auli Leautea Schmidt. In addition to Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa's Samoa Uniting Party, three other newly founded parties were registered to contest the election:[56] the Constitution Democracy Republic Party (CDRP), led by Maiava Seimalu Oswald,[68] the Samoa Labour Party (SLP) and the Tumua ma Pule Reform Republican Party (TPRRP). Led by former Justice Minister Faʻaolesa Katopau Ainuʻu,[56] the SLP was established by former HRPP members, who were dissatisfied with the party's candidate selection process.[69] The TPRRP was led into the election by Molio‘o Pio Molioʻo, the husband of FAST member and former finance minister, Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioʻo.[70] Initially, a record 191 candidates were registered to contest the election,[71] including 24 female contestants, a slight increase from the 21 in the 2021 election.[72][73] Following court challenges and withdrawals, the total number of contestants decreased to 187.[67] Two Faʻafafine also ran in the election.[74] FAST had 58 candidates, the HRPP 50, while the SUP fielded 26. Labour had five candidates, the CDRP and the TPRRP fielded one each, and there were 46 independent contestants. Two candidates in the Faleata 2 constituency were disqualified. As a result, the incumbent member, Public Enterprises Minister Faumuina Asi Pauli Wayne Fong of the SUP, became the only candidate to win his seat unopposed in this election.[67]
CampaignMost parties contesting the election included platforms promising job creation, free public healthcare and infrastructure investment.[75] The official campaign period began on 14 July; however, reports surfaced of several candidates publishing campaign posters on social media beforehand. The OEC announced that campaigning outside of the official period, including the distribution of posters, was unlawful.[76] Several chiefs in Falelatai, the village of the O le Ao o le Malo,[77] located in the Falelatai and Samatau constituency, announced a ban on parties from campaigning in the village.[78] The village chiefs had also attempted to block any candidates from contesting the district, aside from HRPP members.[79] The HRPP had won the constituency in the two previous elections.[77] The electoral commissioner stated that the move was illegal.[78] Malielegaoi denied that the HRPP or the O le Ao o le Malo had any involvement with the chiefs' decision.[80] During a FAST rally on Savaiʻi, Schmidt claimed Mata‘afa had suppressed evidence in the case of the murder of Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard. In response, Mata‘afa filed a defamation complaint and stated that Schmidt should avoid personal attacks and "stick to the issues". Police Commissioner Auapaʻau Logoitino Filipo said the FAST leader's allegation was similar to a claim made against the prime minister in March 2025, which a police investigation found was false.[81] Malielegaoi denounced Schmidt's claim and called for him to be arrested.[82] Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua TasiThe FAST party announced its campaign would significantly focus on economic revitalisation and social welfare.[75] The party launched its manifesto on 12 July in Savaiʻi, announcing free hospital care, a new hospital in Salelologa, an increase in village development funding, increased support for families, and a baby bonus. It also planned to raise the retirement age from 55 to 65, launch a $1.5 billion tālā carbon credit scheme and establish a national stock exchange.[83] FAST, furthermore, intended to revitalise Samoa Airways by investing $300 million tālā into the airline and raise the annual district grant from one to two million tālā for each district, which would total $110 million tālā of the yearly government budget.[84] Human Rights Protection PartyThe HRPP campaigned on providing economic support and proposed large-scale infrastructure projects. The party had the most policy proposals in its manifesto,[75] including a poverty alleviation strategy that would see families receive annual cash grants of $500 tālā for every family member. Malielegaoi claimed Samoa's economic situation had faltered during FAST's tenure in government and that the country used to be "looked up to" by other Pacific Island nations, but that the party had left Samoa in an "embarrassing" state.[85] The HRPP released its full manifesto on 20 June, having commenced campaigning earlier that month, with proposals to reduce taxes, hospital expansion and the construction of a bridge between Upolu and Savaiʻi.[86] Samoa Uniting PartyThe SUP launched its manifesto on 15 July. Mata‘afa stated that the party had risen "from the ashes of FAST".[87] The party pledged to fulfil FAST's uncompleted promises from the last election, including electoral reform, a disability allowance and pension increases. The SUP announced it would retain the district grant programme, with funds varying from one to two million tālā, depending on each district's requirements and size. The party also promised to reduce the value-added goods and services tax, remove the electricity tax, and provide a 20% tax refund to all citizens if it formed a government after the election. Free education from early childhood to the tertiary level and an increase in the retirement age to 60 were also included in the party's manifesto.[88] The SUP vowed to return village lands seized by the German colonial administration that had not been repatriated to customary landowners.[89] OthersThe Labour Party's campaign focused on trade and employment. It promised to raise the minimum wage, establish an export processing zone, and introduce a family welfare programme.[75] The party expressed interest in entering a coalition government.[90] The TPRRP's pledges included investing in cultural institutions and decreasing residential electricity expenses.[75] A coalition named Independent Together, made up of 27 independent candidates, was formed shortly before the election.[91] The alliance launched a manifesto on 13 August,[92] and warned that the country was being fractured by political tensions.[91] Independent Together chairman, Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt, stated that the bloc's key objective was to "support the voice of independents in the Parliament". Brunt expressed his intention for the coalition to remain unified but said members were free to support other parties in parliament. The group declined to support an opposition party if it were to become a kingmaker after the election, but pledged to review other parties' manifestos before signing any coalition agreements.[92] ConductThe OEC received reports alleging that some individuals had unlawfully completed online registrations on behalf of intending candidates.[93] Some campaign committees also reportedly arranged and financed transport for voters to registration centres. The OEC warned that such a practice was illegal.[94] On 26 June, Police Commissioner Filipo announced the creation of a special election crimes taskforce to deal with voter fraud, vote buying, and other electoral crimes.[95] During pre-polling on 27 August, several journalists covering the election were ordered by police to leave polling stations.[96] Police Commissioner Filipo said the incidents were a "misunderstanding" and stemmed from confusion about a rule prohibiting journalists from taking photographs if they are less than 50 metres away from a polling station. Electoral Commissioner Stanley stated that one of the police officers who turned away the journalists reportedly fell asleep during a briefing on the rules on the media's election coverage.[97] Lagi Keresoma, the president of the Journalist Association of Samoa (JAWS), said the incidents were "unacceptable" and announced that JAWS would raise the issue with the police.[96] On election day, polling stations opened at 8 am and closed at 3 pm, although electors still waiting to vote after that time were allowed to cast a ballot.[98] Further reports subsequently surfaced on polling day of police officers, who were allegedly unfamiliar with media regulations, unlawfully ordering journalists to remain at least 100 metres away from polling centres.[99] On 31 August, a day before the official count began, FAST candidate Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo went to the OEC's operation centre, where vote counting was taking place, and reportedly attempted to force the OEC to commence official counting ahead of schedule. The police ordered Onesemo to leave, and then conducted an investigation into the incident.[100] The following day, three other FAST candidates, including Party Secretary Vaʻaaoao Salumalo Alofipo,[101] also entered the OEC premises unlawfully, while votes were being tallied. Candidates are barred by law from entering venues where ballots are being counted. Electoral Commissioner Stanley said Alofipo had come to express concern about ballot box security.[102] Stanley told the trio they were not allowed at the operation centre and called for them, along with Onesemo, to be charged with violating the Electoral Act.[101] Police subsequently increased security around the OEC premises.[103] ResultsThe official vote count was completed on 4 September. FAST secured a majority of seats, winning 30, while the HRPP won 14. The SUP won three seats, while independents secured four.[104] Most of Mata‘afa's cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio, lost their seats.[105] Parliamentary Speaker Papaliʻi Liʻo Taeu Masipau of FAST also lost re-election.[106] Five women won seats, one short of the six required to fulfil the female quota. The electoral commissioner announced that an additional female member would not be appointed to parliament until after the conclusion of post-election legal challenges.[107]
AftermathDuring a post-election rally, where FAST was celebrating the results, party leader Schmidt called for unity and stated it was time for a government "led by God". He appealed to Malielegaoi and Mata‘afa to support a FAST government. The HRPP claimed the results were influenced by bribery and pledged to challenge them in court.[108][109] Malielegaoi stated that his party was surprised by the early results and alleged that "voters are no longer looking ahead to the future, but are only looking at the money that is being given to them the night before elections".[108] See alsoReferences
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