Maiava Fuimaono Tito who ran under the Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) party banner has won the Falealili No. 2 seat according to by-election preliminary results released on Friday evening. 

The owner of the I'u o Atua Transport collected 537 votes to beat Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) rival Leleimalefaga Neemia Fonotia (372 votes) and F.A.S.T. party colleague, Fuimaono La'auli Talatalaina (115 votes).

The Falealili No. 2 constituency has an electoral roll of 1835 with 96 ballots cast at pre-polling yet to be counted. Special votes and pre-polling votes will be officially counted on Monday during the recount. 

In a recent interview with the Samoa Observer, Fuimaono said that the reason he had chosen F.A.S.T. was that the current Government’s plans are coming to fruition.

"Firstly it's education,” he said. “To improve the education of our children, especially in our district Falealili No. 2 there is a shortage of teachers.”

The preliminary results that gave Fuimaono his by-election victory has pushed the total number of seats held by the F.A.S.T. in parliament to 31 with the H.R.P.P. only managing to secure two seats to see their total seat numbers increase to 20.

The former ruling party previously held the Falealili No. 2 seat after the April polling but the election victory of H.R.P.P. Member-elect Fuimaono Samuelu Teo was nullified in August this year after a successful electoral petition which found him guilty of bribery.