FAST By-election Candidate Targets Education, Business & Employment

By Staff Reporters

APIA, SAMOA – 03 FEBRUARY 2023: The Vaimauga 3 constituency yesterday presented its candidate to run under the FAST Party ticket in this months by election.

The former Chief Executive Officer of the Samoa Shipping Services that oversees employment for Samoan sailors and seamen overseas, is giving priority to education, employment and business development as his focus for his constituency.

Lautimuia Uelese Vaai said his constituency is an urban one with the majority living on freehold properties and relying on paid employment and businesses hence his emphasis on the education and business development for his constituents.

Vaimauga 3 is the third largest constituency with 10,500 people as of the latest census.

With expertise and background in Finance and Public Administration, Lautimuia Uelese has worked in the public sector for over thirty years.

Lautimuia (seated 4th from left) with members of the constituency after he was presented to the FAST Party.

He was accepted as the FAST Party candidate by the Chairman, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao and members of the Party in a formal presentation by the constituency at the Maota Samoa function centre, Vaitele on Wednesday morning.

Laauli told Lautimuia and members of his constituency that the candidate was not a stranger to politics as his uncle, Vaai Kolone was the first HRPP Prime Minister who later became a member of the Council of Deputies.

Lautimuia first ran for parliament in the 2016 general elections as an Independent but was unsuccessful.

This tme, he is running against two other candidates for HRPP and an Independent in the upcoming by-election, following the death of the former Minister, Tapunuu Niko Lee Hang late last year.