The caretaker Minister of Education Sports and Culture, Loau Keneti Sio, has agreed to resign from office as part of a deal to settle a post election legal challenge filed against him. 

But unusually, the man who filed the petition, a defeated Fa’atuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) party candidate, will not contest the Sagaga No. 1 by-election despite insisting that Loau resign. 

F.A.S.T. candidate Papalii Tavita Moala has assured the Caretaker Minister of Education Sports and Culture, Loau Keneti Sio that he will not be registering his name in the by-election.

This followed an announcement from Loau who is the elected Member of Parliament for Sagaga No. 1 and Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) member that he will be resigning from office. 

He said the decision is part of an agreement with Papalii to withdraw the electoral challenges mounted against him. 

The Caretaker Minister is one of three winning H.R.P.P. elected M.P. that threw in the towel on Monday agreeing to resign triggering by-election for the territorial constituencies. 

(Elected M.P. for Aana Alofi no2, Aiono Afaese Toleafoa and Safata no1, Leaana Ronnie Posini also agreed to resign from office on Monday prior to their electoral petition hearing.)  

The resignation from the three elected M.P. effectively reduces the current guaranteed number for H.R.P.P. representatives to 17 and F.A.S.T. in contrast continues to lead by 26 seats. 

Loau told the media that he does not want to bring his village and constituency into disrepute at the Court House. 

The caretaker Minister said he does not understand why he has been asked to resign if his opponent has decided to forego the upcoming by-election for the constituency. 

Asked if he will still be running under the H.R.P.P. banner should be decide to, Loau said he is an H.R.P.P. member. 

He added that the decision comes from the village once they meet to discuss the latest development that has left the constituency’s seat in parliament vacant. 

The resigned Caretaker Minister said that he cannot confirm if there will be other candidates aside from Papalii and himself that have interest to run for office. 

Sagaga no1 comprises of the villages of Aele, Faleula, Nuu, Solomona-fou and Tafaigata. 

According to Papalii should the village of Faleula (which is the only village in the constituency that has a village council) decide to endorse Loau as their only candidate in the by-election then he can become uncontested. 

Under the Electoral Act a candidate must render service to the village council – a critical condition they must meet in order to run in any election. 

The F.A.S.T. candidate and businessman said he will not run in the by-election adding that this is the way forward for them. 

The electoral petition for Sagaga No. 1 was called before Chief Justice, His Honour Satiu Simativa Perese and Justice Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren. 

Lawyer Leiataualesa Komisi Koria acting for Papalii told the Court that the parties have been in ongoing discussions up until the hearing date. 

He said they have reached a settlement and seek an adjournment to prepare documents and publicise their intention to drop the post-election challenges. 

Aumua Ming Leung Wai for Loau confirmed a settlement had been reached between the parties. 

Chief Justice Perese has adjourned the matter until Tuesday next week to allow the parties to carry out the withdrawal process.