A Parliamentary Committee has supported recommendations to review provisions of the Electoral Act 2019 relating to candidates who are elected unopposed by their constituencies. 

The Committee also supports recommendations to study the selection of an M.P. through a rotation system which ultimately will save costs.

The recommendations were made by a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the 2021 General Election and were one of the few proposed changes the Committee has approved. 

The gist of the recommendation is for the review of the Electoral Act 2019 to strengthen existing regulations for constituencies to elect their winning candidates unopposed or through a village rotation system without the need to undergo actual voting. 

The Standing Orders, Electoral, Petitions and Constitutional Offices Committee has agreed and considered the provisions important. 

“There may be significant cost savings for the Government from all general election preparation if the majority of constituencies wish not to hold elections,” the Committee stated. 

“Such recommendation is a time-saving aspect for the Office of the Electoral Commission allowing its staff to focus on election preparations more efficiently.  

“It is essential to finalise the allocation of budget to eligible constituencies, to those who did not have their seats contested in the general election, following the formal declaration of elected members by the Head of State.” 

 The findings from the COI showed the total cost of SAT$2.7 million with about SAT$56,000 spent on each one of the 48 constituencies that went to the polls in 2021 or nearly SAT$170,000 which was saved by three constituencies that did not vote. 

The three constituencies where their Members of Parliament were elected unopposed include the Lotofaga district which is represented by the M.P. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Lepa district whose Member is Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, and Faleata No. 3 which has as its M.P. Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.