Samoa Electoral Commissioner, Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio, tendered his resignation on Wednesday with immediate effect to become the new Land and Titles Court Deputy President, a role coming under scrutiny for never having been advertised.
Faimalo’s exit comes two days after national by-elections when he was part of the process of issuing warrants of elections for six constituencies and meeting a constitutional requirement for six women to be in Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party is still deciding whether to challenge the appointment of two women from the opposition party as MPs to the Parliament.
The Office of the Electoral Commission (OEC) activated the 10 percent constitutional requirement for women MPs in Parliament following last week’s by-elections.
FAST party increased their popular vote share in last week’s by-elections by a thumping average of more than 70 per cent, as voters switched parties in droves.
All six by-elections were held in seats held by the former Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) Government, making some of FAST’s vote gains all the more remarkable….
SOURCE: SAMOA OBSERVER/PACNEWS
