By Staff Writer
The starting gun went off last Friday in the race for the Gagaifomauga 2 Electoral Consistency seat in Savaii, left vacant by the recent death of the late MP Vaele Iona.
Five candidates were lined up at the starting line when entries closed at the Office of the Electoral Commissioner at Mulinu’u at the end of the working week.
The opposition HRPP has two in the running; two others are running as independents and one for the ruling FAST party.
The candidates are listed as :
FALESAOPULE Vaialia Iosua INDEPENDENT
FOISAIA Lilo Tuu Ioane INDEPENDENT
LOMIA Tauloa Moafanua Siaaga FAST
SOOALO Fineaso Poka Sooalo HRPP
SOOALO IIMI FEO Mene HRPP
The by-election run-off is set in about 3 weeks time on the 2 of June 2022.
HRPP Candidates Sooalo and Sooalo were formally welcomed and recognised by the leader of the political party, when they were presented by village supporters at Petesa Headquarters last Thursday,
So’oalo Feo Mene is the party’s former MP who was unsuccessful in retaining his seat in the 2021 general elections.
So’oalo Poka So’oalo is a newcomer who is a retired 62-year-old teacher.
He is a father of 7 who also sits as the head of the traditional authority of the village chiefs of Samauga, one of several villages in the constituency.
“Most of the candidates who run for our seat in the past are based in Tumua (Apia/Upolu) who show up mostly toward the end of their term, ready for the next general elections,” So’oalo gave as his reason for standing as a candidate and as his Samauga village choice.
“ I make no promises.”
His decision to run under the HRPP banner was the village choice in their long-standing support of the former Government party.