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2025 Samoan General Election: Parties, Policies, and Constituencies

  • Writer: Fale O Matai Editorial Team
    Fale O Matai Editorial Team
  • Aug 15
  • 3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

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Political backdrop

Samoa goes to the polls on 29 August 2025 after Parliament was dissolved on 3 June when the 2025–26 national budget was defeated 34 to 16, with two abstentions. The Head of State’s writ, issued on 10 June, set pre-polling for 27 August.

By late May, voter enrolment was low. On 30 May, 62,339 of 117,225 eligible citizens were registered, about 53 percent. By 8 June this had risen to 66,333 as the Electoral Office intensified registration. The final roll closed on 4 July with 102,199 registered. Under Samoa’s Electoral Act, registration and voting are compulsory. Penalties commonly cited are Tālā 2,000 for failing to register, and Tālā 100 for failing to vote.

The party landscape has been turbulent. In January 2025, FAST chairman La‘auli Leuatea Polataivao was dismissed from Cabinet following criminal charges. Soon after, FAST voted to remove the prime minister and several ministers from the party. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa and her allies then formed the Samoa Uniting Party (SUP), which was registered on 30 May and launched on 5 June.


Timetable and candidates

The official campaign period runs from 14 July to 24 August, with pre-polling on 27 August and polling day on 29 August. After court rulings and withdrawals, 187 candidates remain. Faleata 2 is uncontested, so 50 seats proceed to polling. Twenty-four women are running.


Parties contesting in 2025

Six registered parties are on the ballot, alongside independents: FAST, HRPP, SUP, Samoa Labour Party (SLP), Tautua Pouono o le Repupulika Party (TPRRP), and the Constitutional Democratic Republic Party (CDRP).


What’s different from 2021

  • New party landscape. The governing party split. Fiamē and Cabinet allies formed SUP in late May and early June 2025.

  • Bigger field, then trimmed. Nominations peaked near 190 and finalised to 187 after court determinations and withdrawals.

  • Clear campaign window. Campaigning is legal from 14 July to 24 August. Pre-polling is 27 August and polling is 29 August.

  • Compulsory enrolment and voting. Fines commonly cited: Tālā 2,000 for non-registration, and Tālā 100 for non-voting.



Promise tracker (as announced to 21 August 2025)

Issue

FAST

HRPP

SUP

Cost of living / tax

Cut corporate tax to 23%; raise take-home pay for low to mid earners

COLA: Tālā 500 per resident per year; other relief

Cut VAGST across goods; no tax on electricity and energy; no VAGST on freezer foods

Pensions / allowances

New health supports; maternity support signalled

PELEGA: lower pension age to 61 with tiered pension (~Tālā 68m/yr)

Tālā 500 per month pension at 60

ACC

30% refund of ACC contributions

–

45% refund of ACC on retirement

Health & education

Free hospital services; hospital investment

–

Free education from ECE through tertiary; disability allowances; free hospital care

Sectors / projects

Invest in Samoa Airways, agriculture, export and import-substitution

Upolu–Savaiʻi bridge and welfare programmes (COLA ~Tālā 110m/yr, SUPA ~Tālā 32m/yr)

Focus on cost-cutting for households

Editor’s note on the Promise Tracker: This tracker highlights parties that, as of 21 August 2025, have released detailed, costed pledges: FAST, HRPP, and SUP. We will add SLP, TPRRP, and CDRP as soon as equivalent platforms are published or provided to Fale o Matai.


Women’s representation

A 2013 constitutional amendment guarantees women at least 10 percent of seats. Floating seats can be added to reach the quota.


Constituencies and representation

Samoa elects 51 members from 51 single-member constituencies under the Electoral Constituencies Act 2019. Faleata 2 is uncontested, so 50 constituencies proceed to polling. For the full, official list of constituencies and villages, see the Act’s schedule.


Looking ahead

This election will test Samoa’s resilience after a year of party realignment and minority government. With six parties and 187 candidates, voters will decide how Samoa balances cost-of-living pressures, social policy, and consensus-based governance in the next Parliament.






References

  • Dissolution, budget vote, and writ with dates; pre-polling and polling days: RNZ, Talamua, Samoa Observer

  • Enrolment snapshots and final roll (30 May, 8 June, 4 July): Samoa Global News, Samoa News Hub, Samoa Observer

  • Compulsory registration and voting penalties: Samoa Observer, Samoa Global News

  • Party split and formation of SUP; registration and launch: Reuters, Pacific Media Network

  • Candidates, parties, women running; Faleata 2 uncontested; 50 seats to polls: RNZ, Samoa Observer

  • FAST platform: corporate tax 23 percent; 30 percent ACC refund; sector plans: Samoa Global News

  • HRPP platform: COLA Tālā 500 per person, Tālā 110m/yr; PELEGA pension age 61, Tālā 68m/yr; bridge proposal: Samoa Global News, Talamua, Samoa Observer

  • SUP platform: free education; free hospital care; disability allowances; 45 percent ACC refund; pension Tālā 500/month at 60; VAGST changes and electricity/energy tax removal: Samoa Observer, Samoa News Hub

  • Electoral framework: women’s quota; constituencies: Detailedpedia

 
 
 

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