Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Samoa's Head of State has confirmed the first sitting of the country's newly elected 18th parliament will take place next week.
Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II issued a proclamation appointing Tuesday, 16 September at 9.30am Samoa time as the date for the opening. The sitting will be held at the Tuanaimato Multipurpose Complex.
The announcement follows last Friday's general election, with official counting taking four days across the country's 50 constituencies.
Preliminary results show the ruling FAST party securing 30 seats, HRPP winning 14, SUP with three, and four independents elected.
This will be FAST's second term in parliament since first coming to power in 2021.
At that time, outgoing Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa was still with the party. This time, its leader Laauli Leuatea Schmidt, is in pole position to become the next prime minister of Samoa.
HRPP leader Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi has told local media his party plans to file 20 election petitions.
All three major political leaders - Fiame (SUP), Tuilaepa (HRPP) and Laauli (FAST) - have retained their seats.
However, Fiame will need to decide whether to enter parliament as an independent or join a party as she has not met the eight-seat threshold for a political party to enter the legislative assembly.
The opening of the Fono on Tuesday will also formally mark the start of Samoa's 18th Legislative Assembly and the beginning of the new five-year parliamentary term.
