Tuia Logoiai Pu’a Fuatogi Letoa returns to Parliament for the Human Rights Protection Party having secured the Safata 2 seat in a close race with Tupa’i Saimasi John Matthes of the Faatuatua i Le Atua Samoa ua Tasi.
After the preliminary count, Tupai John Matthes was just 4 votes ahead and the race was too close to call.
After 25 Pre-Polling and 76 Special Votes, Tuia emerged with 650 votes to Tupa’is 628. He takes the Safata 2 seat by just 22 votes.
Tuia edged out Tupai for the pre-polling votes by 18 to 7. Tuia also extended the lead with 39 Special Votes to Tupai’s 25.
An issue did arise with Booth No 21.5 at Tafitoala EFKS for Safata 2. The Election Officer, described by one of the candidate scrutineers as being heavily pregnant, submitted the wrong results from this booth to the OEC on Friday night, stating that Tupa’i had polled 122 instead of 82.
However, that number was easily corrected by the Candiate Scrutineers who had worked the Tafitoala Booth, including Tuia’s own scrutineer. They all agreed that the number was 82.
Tuia and his wife, Maiava Visekota Peteru were instrumental in setting up a Village Family Safety Committee for the village of Vaiee under an initiative of the Office of the Ombudsman in 2020.
The former board member of Samoa Airways called for an independent investigation into the environmental impacts of the HMNZS Manawanui sinking which affected his district of Safata.
Tuia accused the New Zealand Navy and Government for playing down the impacts and expressed his disappointment when a New Zealand Navy Commander who accompanied the New Zealand High Commissioner Si’alei Van Toor to meet the village chiefs had said the oil leaking from the vessel was “just a trickle”.
“This is not just a trickle,” stated Tuia, “it’s a disaster.”
Tuia advocated that one of the largest mangrove conservation areas is located in the Safata district and called for accountability to be taken for the potential damage to the marine life from the 900 tonnes of diesel oil confirmed by officials on the navy ship when it sank.
“This is our livelihood already affected by the oil leak; it also affects our tourism and the districts’ economic lifeline,” Tui argued on behalf of his district.
Other Results
In other final results, veteran politician Ale Vena Ale retains his lead for the Faleata 4 seat. He leads Pepe Christian Fruean by 1226 votes to 672.
Former CEO of the National University of Samoa as well as CEO of Health for Samoa, Aiono Alec Ekeroma has also secured the Aaana Alofi 2 seat with 547 votes after pre-polling and special votes were counted. Close behind was HRPP’s Aiono Tile Gafa with 473. Aiono Tile had held the seat from 2021. Aiono
