2021 Samoan general election

2021 Samoan general election

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All 51 seats in the Legislative Assembly 26 seats needed for a majority
Registered	128,848
Turnout	69.47% ( 0.17pp)
First party Second party   Leader Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa Party HRPP FAST Last election 56.92%, 35 seats New Seats won 25 25 Seat change 10 New Popular vote 49,237 32,510 Percentage 55.38% 36.57% Swing 1.54pp New
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi HRPP Subsequent Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa FAST

Politics of Samoa
Constitution
Executive O le Ao o le Malo (head of state) Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II Council of Deputies Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio Cabinet Ministries
Legislative Legislative Assembly Speaker: Papali’i Li’o Taeu Masipau Members
Judiciary Court of Appeal of Samoa Supreme Court Chief Justice: Satiu Simativa Perese
Elections Recent elections General: 2011 2016 2021 Next Political parties
Administrative divisions Divisions
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa Diplomatic missions of / in Samoa Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Other countries
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General elections were held in Samoa on 9 April 2021 to determine the composition of the 17th Parliament. The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which had been in government for most of the time since 1982, was led into the election by Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, who had served as prime minister since 1998. The passage of the controversial Land and Titles bills by the HRPP led some party members to defect, establishing the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party promising a repeal. FAST elected Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, the daughter of Samoa's first prime minister, as leader shortly before the election; she left the ruling party and resigned as deputy prime minister in 2020, also in opposition to the amendments.

The results produced a tie between the HRPP and FAST, winning 25 seats each, while one independent won a seat. Both parties subsequently negotiated with the kingmaker independent, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio, who later joined FAST. However, during the negotiations, the electoral commissioner determined the results did not satisfy the 10% female parliamentary quota and announced the appointment of a sixth woman member of parliament, who was a member of the HRPP, leading to a deadlock with both parties holding 26 seats. To resolve the impasse, the O le Ao o le Malo (head of state), on the prime minister's advice, ordered a snap election. However, the Supreme Court later overturned both proclamations and instructed parliament to convene within 45 days of the election, as required by the constitution. Tuila‘epa refused to accept the results, plunging the country into a prolonged political crisis.^[1][2]

On 24 May, the final day parliament could sit, FAST members arrived at a locked parliament surrounded by police. The O le Ao o le Malo and the HRPP caucus boycotted the sitting, prompting the FAST caucus to conduct an ad hoc ceremony in a tent outside of parliament, swearing in its members and a new government with Fiamē as prime minister. Tuila‘epa denounced the ceremony as "illegal" and accused FAST of treason.^[3] After months of legal disputes, the Court of Appeal ruled on 23 July that the ad hoc ceremony was legally binding and that FAST had been the legitimate government since 24 May. The ruling confirmed Fiamē as Samoa's first female prime minister, ending nearly four decades of HRPP governance and Tuila‘epa's premiership of 22 years.^[4]

Following the election and subsequent political crisis, electoral petition proceedings in court saw the HRPP lose seven seats, a reduction to 18, while FAST maintained its 26-seat majority.