Court to hear OEC’s application on additional women seats in parliament

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 29 NOVEMBER 2021: An application by the Electoral Commissioner on the additional women seats in parliament under Article 44 of the Constitution will be heard by the Supreme Court on 6th December.

Fuimaono Sefo Ainuu of the Attorney General’s office is representing the Electoral Commissioner.

The matter was adjourned to today for the Attorney General’s office to inform the Court whether to withdraw or proceed with the application.

Fuimaono informed the court to proceed and the application has drawn interest from both the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) and the Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party.

Counsels for both parties asked the Court for an adjournment to await the outcome of the by-elections of 6 electoral constituencies before submitting their responses.

The adjournment was granted and all parties are to file their submissions by 3 December and the hearing has been set for 6 December.

One of the counsels told Talamua that one of the issues is the contention that the 10% of women parliamentarians under Article 44 of the Constitution should now be seven but not six as the Court had already ruled on.