Chairman of the Fa’atuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party La’auli Leuatea Schmidt is now supporting an early general election despite earlier contention that doing so would burden the nation. 

La’auli in his recent programme said he sympathised with the country and the current situation with ongoing efforts to set things right and find the truth. 

The ruling party has split in an escalated internal rift with calls for Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa to resign while the majority faction takeovers were unsuccessful.

This was followed by two motions of no confidence to remove the Prime Minister. These were defeated reaffirming Fiame's leadership. 

After those failed attempts to remove Fiame and the cabinet, the chairman who initially told the media they would not support a vote of no confidence or a snap election has now said an election is the solution. 

Last week, La’auli said they have taken actions to ensure the prosperity of the nation was sustained but to no avail and are now praying for an early day when Samoa will return to the polls. 

 “Samoa, this is the only peaceful way is to go back to the country to re-elect your leaders in parliament,” he said. 

According to the Chairman, after exhausting all legal steps, handling matters with mutual respect and when a person’s strength has run out, the last resort is to head back to the polls. 

La’auli added they will not find the answer to the ongoing dispute but they will have a definite answer when all 51 members of parliament return to election so that the people can decide and appoint leaders again. 

He argued taking matters to the court would only prolong things, waste money and disrupt the development of the country. 

He prayed that the country would make their decision again stressing the people do not need a government that is uncertain, undecided and not united.