Samoan general election, 2006

General elections were held in Samoa on 31 March 2006. The result was a landslide victory for the Human Rights Protection Party, who took 30 of the 49 seats, and gained another five seats when independent MPs joined the party.

Source: Event Polynesia

Following the election ten candidates filed election petitions alleging various irregularities. Three of these were subsequently withdrawn, and five went to trial, of which three were eventually upheld. Fa'asalele'aga No. 2 MP Pau Sefo Pau was deprived of his seat after being found guilty of four counts of bribery and one of treating. The petitioner, Leanapapa Laki, was also convicted of ten counts of bribery. In Aleipata Itupa-I-Lalo, Paepae Kapeli Su'a was found guilty of two counts of bribery, while the petitioner was found guilty of three counts of bribery and three of treating. And in Fa'asalele'aga No. 4, Mulitalo Vui Siafausa was convicted of bribery after making a gift of fine mats to a village outside his constituency. The petitioner, Samoa Party leader Su'a Rimoni Ah Chong was also convicted of bribery for giving someone money and a television set. All those convicted were deprived of their seats and barred from standing in the subsequent by-elections.

The parliamentary session was officially opened by the O le Ao o le Malo, Malietoa Tanumafili II, on 30 May 2006.

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