Samoa appeared set to get its first female leader after the nation’s top court on Monday reinstated the results of a knife-edge election last month.
Two decisions by the Samoan Supreme Court have paved the way for Fiame Naomi Mata’afa to become prime minister of the small island nation.
Fiame, who was born in 1957, broke new ground during her campaign by going on the road and robustly criticizing Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who had been in power for 22 years.
The court’s decisions appeared to end what most people viewed as an attempt by Tuilaepa to cling to power.
Fiame had served as his deputy before they had a bitter split.
“Glory to our Father!” Fiame’s Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party wrote on Facebook after the court’s decisions. “Now its time to get to work.”
The election initially ended in a 25-25 tie between the FAST party and Tuilaepa’s Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), with one independent candidate.
However, the electoral commissioner appointed another HRPP candidate, saying that it was required to conform to gender quotas.
The independent candidate sided with Fiame, making it 26-26.
The head of state then stepped in to announce fresh elections to break the tie.
Those elections in the nation of 200,000 were supposed to be held later this week.
Fiame’s party appealed and the Supreme Court finally ruled against the appointed candidate and the plans for the new elections, restoring the FAST party to a 26-25 majority.
Supporters gathered outside the court and celebrated with singing after the decision.
Fiame wrote on Facebook that while people remained confused about what had happened, she believed the incumbent government used every means, legal and illegal, in an attempt “to stop us from taking our rightful seats in parliament and to form the government.”
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