By Staff Writer
All 54 seats in Parliament are finally taken with the swearing in of the Gagaifomauga 2 new MP, Foisala Tuu Lilo Ioane today.
The new MP won the by-election as one of 2 independent candidates in a four-man race that included a one candidate each for the two political parties in Parliament.
MP Foisala replaces the late MP Vaele Iona, a first year MP who passed away recently from ill health.
The numbers for this current Parliament have been jumping all over the place since the 10 % added seat for women MPs started off with one until it came up to 2 and then 3.
Whether the extra seat remains is yet to be confirmed with more legal challenges pending on the 3rd woman who came in as an MP for the ruling party.
The HRPP opposition party is challenging the legality of her seat within the 10% threshold allowed for the number of seats allocated for women MPs.
The April 2021 general elections started off with 51 seats in Parliament.
The extra seat for women pushed it up to 52 before what turned into a marathon of court challenges against the validity of the seat pumped up more.
Alataua i sisifo woman MP Ali’imalemanu Alofa Tu’uau was ruled eligible for the first seat.
Aleipata itupa-i-lalo MP Fagaesealii was then ruled a second MP to complete the numbers.
More court rulings, however, were handed down and among them was the right for Anoama’a 2 candidate To’omata Nora Leota for a seat as the third woman MP.
To date the woman MPs have not been paid salaries with no clear explanation given yet of why and who is responsible.
Too early yet to tell if the new male MP sworn in today will also go through the same prolonged wait to be paid a salary as the women MPs have been so far.