The Tautua Samoa party is moving forward in their quest to secure seats in the XVII Parliament with the party planning to endorse three candidates for the upcoming by-election.

This was confirmed by President of Tautua Samoa, Afualo Dr. Wood Salele during an interview with the Samoa Observer.

“I am still the president of Tautua Samoa, we are moving forward and at this time we are preparing for the upcoming by-elections. We have three candidates,” Afualo said.

“We have met with the candidates and I have advised them to go for it. They still have a good chance.”

The party has registered three candidates who are running for three electoral constituencies.

“We have three candidates confirmed and they are getting ready to run in three by-elections. There will be seven by-elections so three of our candidates will contest three seats so we will focus on that,” said Afualo.

Tautua Samoa party's Su’a Samuelu Su’a has confirmed his candidacy for the Aleipata-Itu-i-Lalo seat where there are 2763 registered voters. In the April elections, Su’a got 179 votes but the seat was won by Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) candidate Fiugalu Eteuati Eteuati who collected 805 votes.

But the runner-up Tafua Maluelue Tafua, who ran under the banner of the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.), challenged the results in an election petition. Tafua won 777 votes and Tauiliili Kolose Fruean, also with F.A.S.T. securing 206 votes.

Fiugalu was found guilty of 13 counts of bribery and eight allegations of treating. Five counts of bribery and five counts of treating against the H.R.P.P. candidate were dismissed. The Supreme Court ruled the seat void on 5 July, triggering a by-election for the Aleipata-Itu-i-Lalo electoral constituency.

Tautua Samoa also has a candidate for the Safata No. 2 electoral constituency, Leota-Suatele Manusegi Tufele who won 145 votes in the April elections. There are 2,488 registered voters in Safata No. 2 constituency.

Nonu Teo Niumata of the H.R.P.P. won the seat with 578 votes but F.A.S.T. candidate Laumatiamanu Mathew Purcell, who collected 466 votes challenged the results in an election petition. The complaint was later withdrawn and dismissed.

Nonu agreed to resign, leaving the seat open and he does not plan to run in the by-election.

H.R.P.P. candidate Teo Faitele Afamasaga won 382 votes; Vaatausili Feata Toleafoa, also with H.R.P.P. had 184 votes and Tupai Tuugamusu Afioga (H.R.P.P.) collected 49 votes.

From the Aana Alofi No. 2 electoral constituency, Faletutulu Ameti Faletutulu has returned for Tautua Samoa to contest the seat that was declared void by the Supreme Court.

Faletutulu won 70 votes in the General Election.

The winner Aiono Afaese Toleafoa, with the H.R.P.P. won 520 seats in April but the runner-up Lolomatauama Eseta Mataituli challenged the results in court.

Lolomatauama won 292 seats in the Aana Alofi No. 2 race. Apenamoemanatunatu Tuuau Letaulau (H.R.P.P.) had 212 votes and Aiono Tile Gafa (H.R.P.P.) won 173 votes.

Aiono Afaese was found guilty of five counts of bribery in a 16 August, 2021 decision of the Supreme Court. The seat was declared void, mandating a by-election.

There 1,730 registered voters in the Aana Alofi No. 2 electoral constituency.

In June, Afualo, Tautua Samoa’s president, was found guilty of one count of bribery by the Supreme Court.

Afualo had challenged the results of the election alleging F.A.S.T. party candidate Fepuleai Faasavalu Sua, the Member of Parliament-elect for the Salega No. 1, bribed voters.

The court dismissed three counts of bribery against Fepuleai. 

In the matter of a counter-petition filed by Fepuleai, the court found Afualo guilty of one count of bribery.

“In these kinds of things, you can’t just throw in the towel,” Afualo told the Samoa Observer.