“No Snap Election” says FAST Party Leader

By Staff Reporters/

Apia, Samoa – 20 January 2025 – The FAST Party Leader, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao has revealed that the party has no intention for the country to be burdened with a snap election.

Talking in a press conference this afternoon, Laauli confirmed that the Party has no intention to push a motion of no confidence in parliament that may trigger a snap election.

The FAST Leader said that it is only a few months to the 2026 general elections and the party has resolved not to push for a vote of no confidence given the remaining time for the current parliamentary term and the impact a snap election will have on the country and the economy.

Laaulialemalietoa was unanimously elected as the party’s new leader last Wednesday after the party terminated the Prime Minister from the party having lost confidence in her leadership.

Also sacked were five Cabinet Ministers “due to their individual and collective roles in furthering the division and disunity within the Party instead of trying to resolve matters,” the party said in a statement.

FAST Party Ownership
The sacking of the Prime Minister as party leader and five other cabinet ministers last week, now sets the party clear under a new leadership in preparing for the 2026 general elections.

Laauli also firmly denied that the party’s current divisions are due to his being charged by police on 3 January, rather the internal divisions played by some cabinet ministers that goes back to various overdue issues within the party and its leadership.

The FAST Chairman supported by MPs, Seuamuli Fasi Toma, Ale Vena Ale, Manuleleua Tovale and Fesolai Apulu Tusiupu during this afternoon’s press conference.

In an end of the year caucus meeting last December, the Prime Minister and many of the Cabinet ministers were not present and disappointed a lot of caucus members which was later expressed in a letter of no confidence in the Prime Ministers leadership dated 30 December 2024.

Among the main issues raised is the unresolved four year old hit and run case at Vaitele that killed a university student on 21 April 2021 as well as the growing drugs problem especially “ice” that implicates the involvement of police.

Faleata 4 MP, Ale Vena Ale criticized the Prime Ministers for her silence and inaction in dealing with the hit and run incident and has not yet responded to the victims parents letter of February 2024, asking for the Prime Minister and Cabinets help in resolving the case. After a Cabinet decision to solicit overseas police to assist in the investigation, the decision was overturned by the Prime Minister.

It is not sure how the various laws not before parliament will progress under the current political situation. The laws include amendments to the three controversial bills the HRPP government passed in December 2020 on the Land and Titles Act and an amendment to the constitution, that FAST promised to amend in its election manifesto.

According to Laauli, the Party has informed the Speaker by letter of the changes in its party leadership and it will be up to the Speaker to make a decision as to the status of the PM and Cabinet Ministers whose membership have been terminated given the provisions of the Electoral Act as they technically no longer belong to a political party in the House.

The terminated members have contested their removal as members and Laauli told the media today that the Party is ready to contest the issue if it may go to Court.