Candidates endorsed by the ruling Fa'atuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) have taken commanding leads in the three by-elections at the conclusion of the unofficial count on Friday.

The preliminary results from the unofficial count at the Office of the Electoral Commission (O.E.C.) after polling closed at 3 pm on Friday show Ale Vena Ale (Faleata No. 4), Mau'u Siaosi Puepuemai (Vaa o Fonoti) and Tuu'u Anasii Leota (Siumu) are leading.

Ale is leading by a mile for the Faleata No. 4 seat securing 867 votes with his independent opponent Ulu Bismarck Crawley getting 396 ballots. 

In Vaa o Fonoti, Mauu is in first place with 739 votes, followed by his Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) opponent, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri who has so far secured 201 votes. While Feutagaiimealelei Osovale Brown of the Constitution Democracy Republic Party is third with 32 ballots. 

In the Siumu district, Tuu'u Anasii is leading with 599 votes followed by independent candidate Faalogo Kapeli Faalogo with 505 votes while the H.R.P.P. candidate, Tuu'u Amaramo Sialaoa is running third with 184 ballots. 

The district of Siumu had 68 pre-polling votes that were not counted at the preliminary count and even if Faalogo secures all of the 68 votes he will still fall short of Tuu'u Anasi'i's win. 

The preliminary results for the trio prove that their decision to switch political parties has not changed their constituencies' support for them.

Should the results remain unchanged after the final count on Saturday, the F.A.S.T. seats in the Legislative Assembly will increase from 32 to 35 and return the former M.P.s to their seats on the government bench. 

The H.R.P.P. currently has 18 seats and F.A.S.T. with the preliminary results in their favour would now have a two-thirds majority in the House.

The preliminary count was held at the Office of the Electoral Commission at Mulinuu where members of the media and officials recorded results from the booths as they rolled in.