ZCZC
BFF-27
SAOA-ELECTION-CANDIDATES
200 candidates to contest 2021 general election in Samoa
SUVA, Oct 23, 2020 (BSS/XINHUA) – A total of 200 candidates have nominated to run for Samoa’s general election in April next year.
According to Samoa Observer, the island nation’s daily English newspaper, the Office of Samoa’s Electoral Commission said that the ruling Human Rights Protection Party kept its lead with 114 candidate nominations, followed by the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi party with 50, Tautua Samoa Party 14, Samoa First Political Party six, one from the Sovereign Independent Samoa and Independent candidates 15.
Friday’s closing of nomination, which started last Tuesday, has also recorded 23 women candidates for next year’s general election.
As compared to the 2016 general election which elected 49 Members of Parliament, constituencies have been rearranged according to changes in population and demography, bringing the number to 51 constituencies altogether.
The 200 candidates have six months to decide whether to withdraw or maintain their candidacy two weeks before the general election which is to take place in April, 2021.
The ruling Human Rights Protection Party led by incumbent Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi won a landslide victory in the 2016 general election.
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has been the island nation’s prime minister since 1998.
BSS/XINHUA/SSS/1902 hrs