Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has successfully retained her position after defeating a vote of no confidence, following weeks of political unrest.
During the vote on Tuesday, Fiame secured 34 votes in her favor, while 15 MPs supported the motion against her.
The no-confidence vote arose from a rift within the ruling FAST Party, leaving Fiame leading a minority government. However, in an unexpected turn of events, FAST members ultimately sided with her, delivering a decisive blow to opposition leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s attempt to unseat her.
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Papalii Lio Masipua, approved the opposition’s formal request for the vote last Friday. Tuilaepa, leader of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), confirmed that the motion was officially accepted, allowing five opposition members to debate it.
Samoa’s constitution states that the Prime Minister must be the MP commanding a majority in parliament. However, the government dismissed Tuilaepa’s efforts as a “desperate attempt to create political drama” ahead of the vote.
The crisis within the government erupted at the start of 2025 when La’auli Leuatea Schmidt, chairman of the FAST Party and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, faced criminal charges. On January 10, Fiame removed him from his ministerial role and later dismissed three more Cabinet ministers.
Despite being ousted from his ministerial post, La’auli remained FAST Party chairman and later announced the removal of Fiame and five Cabinet ministers from the party—a move that was contested by those expelled. In response, Fiame dismissed 13 associate ministers.
Although La’auli acknowledged the challenge of holding a vote of no confidence, he withheld the party’s official stance, saying they would wait until the vote took place on Tuesday.
With Fiame surviving the no-confidence vote and FAST members unexpectedly backing her, one question remains: Is the FAST Party healing the rift?
