Samoa Holds Snap Election August 29 After Government Collapse

Samoa will hold a snap general election on August 29, more than six months earlier than originally scheduled, following the collapse of Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa's government after a budget defeat in parliament. Fiame, Samoa's first female prime minister who ended four decades of rule by the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) in 2021, now leads the newly formed Samoa Uniting Party and faces a three-way contest against her former party FAST, led by sacked minister La'auli Leuatea Polataivao, and the HRPP, led by former prime minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi. The early election was precipitated by a split within the FAST party after Fiame fired La'auli from the cabinet over criminal charges, leading to a coalition between FAST defectors and HRPP to block the budget. The political crisis has heightened geopolitical interest in Samoa, a strategic location amid regional competition between China and Western powers, and comes amid concerns over climate change's existential threat to the island nation. Voter registration surged ahead of the election, and the Head of State formally announced the poll date after the Supreme Court rejected a request for more preparation time.