Samoa's political crisis deepens as rivals both claim leadership
The Peninsula
Sydney/Canberra: Samoa's political crisis intensified on Monday as the leader of the opposition party held a ceremony to form government outside a locked parliament after the incumbent prime minister refused to cede power.
A series of twists and turns since an April election gave the FAST opposition party a one-seat parliamentary majority has culminated in a power struggle between the courts and the head of state in the Pacific nation, a supporter of China in recent years. FAST leader Fiame Naomi Mataafa was set to become Samoa's first female prime minister after the country's top court upheld the election result against a challenge supported by incumbent Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.More Related News