By Staff Writer
The Tautua Samoa is pooling all of its election candidates with two other smaller political parties to contest the 2021 General Elections.
The rallying call for the new political grouping is ‘strength in numbers.’
Tautua Samoa leader, Afualo Wood Salele, officially announced the political merging with the Samoa First and the Sovereign Independent Samoa parties to the local media today.
‘The Tautua Samoa has 14 candidates running in the general elections, 5 from Samoa First and one from the Sovereign Independent Samoa for the overall total of 20,” Afualo disclosed when making the official announcement.
The candidates are being loosely grouped as a collective rather than a coalition, with each running under the banner of their own political party.
“With the exception of one electoral constituency, our candidates are alone in their own respective electorates so they won’t be running against each other,” Afualo explained.
Unlike the FAST coalition of political parties, the Tautua Samoa-led grouping is based on mutual trust rather than a signed agreement for each party to adhere to.
Afualo, however, was adamant they are more likely to join with the FAST coalition if they must to form a new Government.
“People want a change in Government and that means they don’t want the HRPP. “We would be misleading their trust about having a new Government if the HRPP is included.
“But any final decision we make will be subject to follow up discussions and agreement after the elections.”
The Tautua Samoa will need 26 winning candidates in their grouping with the other two smaller parties, if they want to rule after the polling next April.
With only 20 in their roll of candidates they will have no other choice but to link up with the FAST coalition to reach the winning numbers.
Afualo, however, did not elaborate if, when or how that will work out with the rival coalition until after the general election results.
The magic number directly within their reach though is 8 in order to form a recognised opposition party in Parliament.
The target is a more realistic one with the numbers they have in their grouping of candidates.
