An Independent candidate contesting the by-election hopes to address social issues such as unemployment, educational barriers, and water and road accessibility in his constituency.    

Falesaopule Vaialia Iosua, who is running for the Gagaifomauga No. 2 seat in the by-election next month, said during the launch of his by-election campaign on Wednesday that there are a lot of social inequalities and he wants to find solutions to address them if he gets into politics.

“I know that you have all heard from other candidates but I believe that the prosperity of families will lead to a prosperous village and empowered constituency,” he told the media on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old from the village of Safune, Savai’i revealed his plans during a press conference held at Lava Hotel.

The Independent candidate said that one of the areas he hopes to prioritise are the needs of vulnerable families as well as persons with disabilities.  

“I speak from experience in areas of development which I have helped my constituency with, and also I know and understand the challenges and difficulties the people of my district faces.

“In terms of education, there is a great need to improve accessibility of educational platforms within my district. 

"There was a great lesson learned from COVID-19 and its impacts on my constituency, not all parents have the means to provide technological devices that are needed by students to access online learning platforms.  

“If I win, I will ensure that the Government's development plans and aligned with my constituency’s needs and wants.”

Falesaopule said there are families in the village of Fatuvalu who have no access to water supply and there are a high number of unemployed youth who can turn to crime if given alcohol. 

“I will also fight for the roads in my district to be fixed should I succeed, some of the villages in my constituency have been waiting for years but to no success," he added. 

 He also said that economic women empowerment is important because if women are empowered so will their families.

He has served the Government of Samoa for 20 years through the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Women Community and Social Development.

Falesaopule is a former Assistant Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Women who led the community development sector until 2020. He resigned from the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to run for the election.

He attended Safune Primary School and Vaipouli College and later attained a bachelor’s degree and post-graduate diploma in development studies from the National University of Samoa. He also attended the Mahidol University in Bangkok where he got his Master of Arts, Human Rights and Democratisation.

The Gagaifomauga No. 2 by-election is scheduled for 1 June for pre-polling and 3 June for polling. The constituency consists of the villages Samauga, Paia, Lefagaoalii, Leagiagi, Matavai, Safune, Faletagaloa and Fatuvalu.