Samoa will hold an unexpected general election on 29 August—six months ahead of schedule—following the collapse of Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa’s government after a decisive budget defeat in parliament, according to AP News.
The dissolution marks a critical juncture for the Pacific nation, with Fiame now leading the newly formed Samoa Uniting Party against her former ally Laʻauli Leuatea Polataivao’s FAST Party and longtime rival Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi’s Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP).
The political turmoil began in January 2025 when Fiame dismissed her FAST party chairman, Laʻauli, from cabinet amid criminal charges including conspiracy and harassment. Laʻauli refused to resign, prompting Fiame to sack three more ministers for disloyalty.
Earlier this year, FAST had expelled Fiame and five cabinet allies, appointing Laʻauli as its new leader. Though Fiame survived two no-confidence votes—one from HRPP in February and another from FAST in March—her minority government finally fell on 27 May when HRPP and defected FAST MPs united to reject her budget by 34 votes to 16. Parliament dissolved on 3 June after the Supreme Court rejected appeals to delay the election, clearing the path for the 29 August vote.
Fiame’s entire 15-member cabinet will contest the election under the Samoa Uniting Party banner, with caretaker minister Leatinuʻu Wayne Soʻoialo confirming:
It was unanimously agreed that all 15 would register with Samoa Uniting.
The snap election unfolds against a backdrop of intense geopolitical competition in the Pacific, where Samoa—strategically positioned between major powers—faces pressure from China, Australia, and the United States. Climate change also looms as an existential threat for the 200,000-strong archipelago, ranked among the world’s most vulnerable to rising seas.
Domestically, the three-way contest reshapes Samoa’s political landscape. Fiame—who ended the HRPP’s 40-year rule in 2021 to become Samoa’s first female PM—now battles her former deputy prime minister role colleague Tuilaʻepa and ex-FAST ally Laʻauli.
Seven parties are registered, including the new Samoa Labour Party led by former HRPP ministers and the Tumua ma Pule Reform Republican Party, which pledges to halve electricity costs 813. Voter enrolment surged from 52% to 59% following the election announcement, reflecting heightened public engagement.
