Samoa’s likely new prime minister has announced that “the era of God-centred leadership” has begun in the country after the provisional results of its snap election have shown a new government will almost certainly be formed.
La’auli Leuatea Schmidt, the leader of the country’s FAST party, claimed victory from Friday’s national poll after provisional results showed his party picked up as many as 30 seats in the 51-seat parliament.
Caretaker Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, who has stayed silent since Friday’s poll, looked almost certain to lose her title as the country’s leader, with her party, the Samoa United Party, only picking up three seats.
Fiame, the country’s first female leader, previously led the FAST party until she removed Mr Schmidt earlier this year after he was charged with a string of criminal offences, which are still to be heard in court.
She was later abandoned by the party, triggering a long-running political scandal that led to the election.
Long-term former leader of Samoa, Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, looked set to remain in opposition after his party, HRPP, picked up about 12 seats.
The provisional results will be confirmed later this week in an “official” vote count, although in Samoa court cases and appeals can often delay the process of officially crowning a new government and a new leader.
But the overwhelming result from the FAST Party in the provisional results means it is almost certain to form government, barring any successful court cases and an unprecedented swing in some votes that are yet to be counted.