SUVA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Samoa's ruling Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) on Tuesday night secured its parliament majority with extra seat.
According to Samoa's English daily newspaper the Samoa Observer, Aliimalemanu Alofa Tuuau, who is from the ruling party, has been elected to Samoa's parliament through the statutory mandate ensuring 10 percent of the seats are occupied by women. Her election under the threshold now puts the ruling HRPP ahead of the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) with 26-25 seats in parliament respectively.
In a late notice issued Tuesday night, Samoa's Office of the Electoral Commission (OEC) confirmed that the threshold of 10 percent women representation in the island nation's parliament had not been met in this year's general election, which was held on April 9 with the ruling HRPP led by incumbent Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and FAST led by former HRPP deputy Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa being tied on 25 seats each in parliament.
Five women were elected at the completion of the final count of votes for this year's general election. The OEC said that only 9.8 percent of the women membership was achieved in the general election, but the constitution requires a minimum of 10 percent of seats occupied by women.
The document, which was signed by Samoa's Head of State Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, declared on Tuesday night that a warrant of election was issued for Aliimalemanu.
Samoa is a Pacific island nation with a population of more than 190,000. The nation's last general election was held in 2016 with the ruling HRPP winning a landslide victory. Enditem
