Sunday 01st June 2025, Apia Samoa. As of 8pm on Friday night 30 May 2025, only 62,339 voters had formally registered with the Office of the Electoral Commission (OEC).
Samoa has 117,225 citizens over the age of 21 years eligible to vote. That means the Electoral Roll currently represents only 53% of Samoa’s eligible voters and the message from the Electoral Commissioner is, we cannot go to the polls with that number.
“E le mafai ona faatino se faigapalota tele i le fuainumera lea e na o le 62,339.”
“There are 54,886 voters yet to register or re-register,” said Samoa’s Electoral Commissioner, afioga Tuiafelolo John Stanley. “That is around 47 percent, not yet registered.”
“We cannot conduct a general election with that number, of only 62,339″, stressed the Electoral Commissioner.”
The Office of the Electoral Commission filed an ex-parte motion in the Supreme Court over the weekend – seeking declaratory orders to guide the election process given the discrepancies in legislation.
The Constitution of Samoa under S64 requires a general election within 3 months, however, the Electoral Act refers to an electoral process that takes up to 6 months.
As the OEC Commissioner points out – the Electoral Act process is usually applied at the end of a 5-year term, and a normal dissolution of Parliament.
The early dissolution of Samoa’s Legislative Assembly declared by His Highness the Head of State on Tuesday 3rd June 2025, became necessary after the Government’s Appropriation Bill seeking approval of the Budget was rejected by 34 votes to 16 last Tuesday 27 May 2025.
The last time the budget was rejected in Samoa’s Parliament was during a similar political turmoil between leaders and parties in 1982.
The Electoral Commissioner Tuiafelolo Alexander Stanley makes it clear in his submissions to Court that the OECs primary objective is to conduct free, fair and inclusive elections that are aligned with Samoa’s laws and do not infringe on people’s right to vote and choose their leaders.
The Electoral Commissioner sought two Orders, (i) to seek a variation of the timeframes for the electoral process as set out in the Electoral Act 2019, and (ii) to seek an extension from 3 months, to 4 months and two weeks.
The additional timeframe will allow fair time to register the 47% of Samoa not yet on the Electoral Roll.
The Supreme Court had a special sitting on Saturday morning 31 May 2025 to hear the OEC submission.
Parties to the court proceedings are the Attorney General acting for OEC, and the 5 registered political parties who were all informed of the ex-parte motion.
Contrary to some media reports, only 5 political parties were registered with OEC as of last Friday 30th May.
They are, (i) HRPP represented in Court on Saturday by Fuimaono Sefo Ainuu, (ii) SNDP represented by Papalii Malietau Malietoa, (iii) Constitution Democracy Republic Party, represented by Maiava Osborne, (iv) the newly established Samoa Uniting Party representated in Court by Afa Lesa and (v) and the FAST party whose lawyer was not available on Saturday morning.
Counsels understandably were not ready to proceed with the hearing which has been set for next week Wednesday 4th June 2025.
A 3-judge panel presided over the matter on Saturday including Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese, Senior Supreme Court Justice Vui Clarence Nelson, and Justice Niava Mata Tuatagaloa.
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