FAST Party leader reaches out to supporters and the nation following Friday’s historic snap election.
Samoa will find out late next week which political party will form the next government, as votes continue to be counted a day after Friday’s snap election.
In a statement on their official facebook page, the commission says special votes are still to be counted.
Translated, the statement says, “The task/work is to ensure that these special votes go to the right constituency/electorate so they are included for counting. The work is being overseen by police, secretaries of the candidates and the media. The official counting of these votes will start Monday 1st and conclude Friday 5th September.”
However provisional results from Friday night show the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party in the lead.
While the official website for the Office of the Electoral Commission of Samoa was down at the time of publishing, the Samoa Observer newspaper’s interactive provisional results election map show FAST with 28 seats, HRPP 15, SUP with 4 and two seats going to independents.
FAST Party leader La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt, took to the party’s official Facebook page on Saturday to address supporters and Samoa.
He congratulated FAST candidates who won their seats and thanked not only the party supporters in Samoa, but supporters from across the world and those who travelled from overseas to vote.
He said while the result is provisional, the results so far showed voters had made their choice.
La’auli says, “democracy has prevailed and won once again, the Samoan people have spoken, expressed their choice in our political leaders and party in our beautiful country for the next five years.”
The former cabinet minister continued his address, “the spirit of the Lord of peace and love prevailed and has brought us to this significant moment and hour this evening, when our people have made their choice through our Lord’s guiding spirit, let his choice be so.”
La’auli acknowledged all competing political parties, and independent candidates, paying tribute to the political leaders of HRPP, Tuilaepa Sailelemalielegaoi and leader of the Samoa United Party, Fiame Naomi Mataafa. Tuilaepa and Fiame have yet to make any statement.
La’auli said the challenge was now up to the country’s political leaders to restore peace and harmony to Samoa.
Samoa has a population of more than 200,000 with over 100,000 eligible voters taking part in Friday’s election. A total of 187 candidates stood, vying for one of 51 seats in parliament.
More than 100,000 registered and eligible voters cast their vote in one of the country’s 430 polling booths in Upolu and Savaii.
