Congratulations to Miss Samoa Litara Ieremia-Allan on clinching the Miss Pacific Islands 2025-2026 crown in Honiara, Solomon Islands, and creating another milestone for the nation that started the Pacific pageantry.

It was back-to-back wins on the stage for Samoa and once again becoming the nation with the most wins. It was not easy. All contestants came prepared and all teams worked hard. The previous year, Moemoana Schwenke had set the bar high and to follow that act was near impossible.

All points to Litara in making the nation proud. She now wears two crowns and it is a big responsibility. She is an ambassador not only for the homeland but for all Pacific nations and over the next year, she will be given a platform on the world stage at various major events to advocate for what the Pacific needs.

Moemoana has shown that it can be done and we hope that Litara will have guidance from her predecessor. It was good to see Samoa unite in cheering for Litara. Many were awake early Sunday morning watching the pageant. The watch parties were not limited to women, men gathered in bunches and cheered Litara on as they would do for Toa Samoa.

The celebration after the announcement was similar to that of winning the World Cup.

There were some off-the-field scuffles which raised concern. The internet was ablaze with negativity at one point in time. A few Tongans and Samoans were at each other’s throats and not-so-kind language was used. Overall, it showed the lack of internet literacy, respect and dignity. It goes to show what happens when idiots are allowed to yield some power. Nothing comes good of it.

Perhaps this would be a learning lesson for the organisers next year when the pageant moves to Fiji about setting up internet guidelines. People need to be responsible and set good examples for the younger generation on how they should behave on social media.

The unity created by the Miss Pacific Islands pageant was much needed after the political division affecting the country at the moment. This week, we also learnt of deepening divisions within the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party or whether this was a case of miscommunication.

On Friday party chair and leader Laauli Leuatea Schmidt said he would be meeting with the nine members who were part of the cabinet. It is unclear what he intended to meet them about but no one showed up for the meeting on Saturday.

One cabinet minister responded to queries by saying he was busy doing what he was appointed to do, to serve the people of the nation. Great attitude. Many ministers who were contacted said they had not been informed of any meeting.

It seems that the Laauli-led FAST faction wants to know where the cabinet ministers who have not been expelled, stand. With them or with Fiame. The ministers know they can be expelled from the party if they side with Fiame but they also know that if any action suggests no confidence in the PM, they will be sacked from their post.

It seems that when general elections do happen next year, they would most likely be a new party or one or two top figures missing from the names on the ballot. There seems to be no action being taken to unite Samoa but more steps are taken to deepen the divisions including within the FAST party.

When parliament meets at the end of the month and votes on the changes to laws, the nation will know who stands where. Let us hope for a faster resolution to the current political situation.

For Litara, her work as Miss Pacific has begun and we bid farewell to Moemoana for a job well done. Perhaps this comradery among the pageant sisters could teach our political leaders about the beauty of working together for the nation and not for themselves.