Two Rivals Claim Samoa’s Prime Ministership As Political Crisis Deepens
Voice of America
SYDNEY - The political crisis in Samoa has deepened as two rivals claim to be prime minister of the South Pacific island nation. Samoa lies about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, and has a population of about 200,000 people.
Samoans voted in a general election in early April. The result was very close, and both major parties have claimed victory. The opposition FAST Party, led by Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, said it had secured the crucial support of an independent lawmaker to form a government with a 26-25 majority in parliament. However, Samoa’s long serving leader, Tuila'epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, who has been in power since 1998, disputed the result. His refusal to stand down was described as a ‘coup’ by his opponents.This undated handout photo taken by the UN Development Programme and released on May 28, 2024 shows locals digging at the site of a landslide at Mulitaka village in the region of Maip Mulitaka, in Papua New Guinea's Enga Province. This photo released by UNDP Papua New Guinea, shows a landslide in Yambali village, in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, May 27, 2024. Authorities fear a second landslide and a disease outbreak are looming at the scene of Papua New Guinea's recent mass-casualty disaster.
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