Samoa Faces Early Election After Budget Defeat

Wellington (New Zealand), May 27 (AP) Samoa is heading for an early election after its Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, announced plans to dissolve Parliament following the failure of a budget vote on Tuesday.

The budget rejection dealt a blow to Mata'afa's government after she navigated months of political upheaval. Despite surviving two no-confidence votes, her minority government could not pass the budget, with 34 lawmakers voting against it, 16 in support, and two abstaining.

New elections must occur within the next 90 days, ahead of the initially planned polls next April for the country, home to about 200,000 people.

Fiame: Samoa's First Woman Leader Since becoming Samoa's first female prime minister in 2021 by ending her predecessor's 22-year tenure, Mata'afa has been a trailblazer. As the first female cabinet member since 1991 and the daughter of a former prime minister, she is one of the longest-serving politicians in the region. Her ascent followed a split from the previous leader’s party over constitutional reforms she believed threatened the rule of law.

Holding a chiefly title, which is uncommon for women in Samoa, Fiame is an anomaly in Pacific politics, where female representation in parliament stands at just 8%, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union's January statistics.

Months of Political Instability The budget defeat concluded a turbulent period in Samoa's politics, ignited when Fiame fired a Cabinet member facing multiple criminal charges in January. This member, also her party's chairman, subsequently ousted her from the FAST party, resulting in a minority government for Fiame. She defied two no-confidence attempts while enduring personal attacks from opponents who criticized her status as unmarried.

Fiame affirmed this month her intention to run in the next April elections, though she declined to comment after Tuesday's budget vote.

Concerns Over Election Preparedness During Tuesday’s parliamentary session, Fiame cautioned that rejecting the budget might disrupt government operations, the Pacific news outlet PMN reported. She also highlighted that ongoing voter re-registration, targeted for completion by next April's elections, had reached just 52% of the electorate. The government had declared the old registration system outdated last year.

Fiame has gained international recognition for urging significant players like Australia to intensify their efforts to combat climate change's impact on Pacific islands. Her stance on China's investment in Samoan infrastructure is more cautious than her predecessor's, given the nation’s significant debt to China.

This year has seen Samoa confronting serious electricity shortages, which Fiame warned in April could disastrously affect the nation's economy. (AP) NSA

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