NEWS UPDATE: Court Dismisses strike out motion against FAST Party’s Legal Challenge

Samoa’s Electoral Commissioner, Faimalōmatumua Mathew Lemisio.

APIA, SAMOA – 28 APERIL 2021: The Supreme Court in Apia has dismissed a strike out motion by the Office of the Electoral Commissioner against the FAST Party legal challenge against the appointment of a sixth woman in parliament.

Also accepted by the court this afternoon is the FAST motion to add the elected member of Alataua West, Seuula Ioane as a joiner in the main motion.

The court decision this afternoon means the case has progressed to a substantive hearing next Wednesday.

Crucial to the case is the political stalemate the Electoral Commissioners action has created with a 26-26 hung parliament.

….more details later