Samoa's caretaker prime minister has called for calm as uncertainty hangs over political disputes surrounding the results of the 9 April general elections.
Samoa's Supreme Court will this morning decide on a call to stop the reconvening of Parliament. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor
Two rulings by the Supreme Court on Monday confirmed that FAST had won last month's election by securing 26 of parliament's 51 seats.
The court voided a move by the Electoral Commission to add an extra appointed seat to parliament, which briefly tied the number of seats.
But the caretaker prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi's incumbent Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) is challenging the rulings, seeking an injunction against a call by FAST to reconvene Parliament.
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi speaking to media in April. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Tipi Autagavaia
A delegation from the FAST leadership asked the Head of State to reconvene Parliament last evening, but he said he would seek legal advice on the request.
There have been reports this morning of bus loads of matai and leaders from the Falelatai district descending on the Head of State's official residence to advise him not to sign the warrant for Parliament to reconvene.
Tuilaepa made the statements calling for calm live on radio and television this morning, and said social media misinformation and accusations had been the main cause of unrest making people turn on each other.
"The accusations have been strong and using disrespectful words and statements against government leaders, village leaders and even church leaders."
He said Samoa had been a very calm and peaceful country, but in the last six months that had changed, and it's now in a state of disarray.
Tuilaepa seemed to be apportioning blame to the newly formed FAST party, who had extensively used social media to reach out to voters and especially to the non-voting Samoa diaspora supporters, who apparently helped financially to the tune of more than $1million tālā (NZ$540,000).
The Supreme Court is sitting this morning to decide on the call by HRPP for a stay on the reconvening of Parliament by FAST.
Our correspondent said if the HRPP bid is unsuccessful, the Head of State may not have any option but to convene the country's 17th Parliament.
