The Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) candidate for Sagaga No. 4 has taken the lead and maintains a gap of over 400 votes from his nearest rival Tuisa Tasi Patea in the counting of the by-election preliminary votes. 

The candidate Tagaloatele Pasi Poloa has recorded 1156 votes in the preliminary count ahead of his Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) rival Tuisa who is on 727 ballots. 

This is the second time the two candidates have contested the seat after April's General Election where Tuisa came out the winner. 

Seven months after the constituency went to the poll, it appears the voters have changed allegiance to back the new Government led by the F.A.S.T. party. 

Tuisa had resigned as Member-elect immediately after April's poll election as part of an arrangement with Tagaloatele to drop a petition that he had lodged against him.

The preliminary count leaves 92 uncounted pre-polling votes and even if the pre-polling votes go in favour of Tuisa, he would not be able to overtake Tagaloatele following his rival's lead after the counting of the preliminary votes. 

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