The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which had been in government for most of the time since 1982, was led into the election by Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, who had served as prime minister since 1998.
The ruling confirmed Mataʻafa as Samoa's first female prime minister, ending nearly four decades of HRPP governance and Malielegaoi's premiership of 22 years.
[4] Following the election and subsequent political crisis, electoral petition proceedings in court saw the HRPP lose seven seats, a reduction to 18, while FAST maintained its 26-seat majority.
[5] The party's leader, Tuila‘epa Sa‘ilele Malielegaoi had served as prime minister since 1998 and around the time of this election was one of the longest-serving incumbent heads of government in the world.
[17] One member of parliament, Laʻauli Leuatea Polataivao, was expelled from the HRPP for his opposition to the bills,[18] and went on to establish the Fa‘atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party.
[22][23] Weeks before the election, the HRPP majority passed a bill requiring members of parliament to contest a by-election if they leave their party to become independents during the parliamentary term.
If this quota were unfulfilled following an election, parliament must establish up to five additional seats allocated to the unsuccessful female candidates who attained the highest percentage of votes.
[51] Party leader and prime minister, Tuila‘epa Sa‘ilele Malielegaoi, confirmed in July 2020 that he would seek a record fifth term as head of government.
[56] The party released several other policy proposals upon its foundation in July 2020, including a two-term limit for the office of prime minister to avoid an "abuse of power" and eliminate "entrenched corruption".
[58] Prime Minister Malielegaoi denounced the roadshow as a "foreign practice" and encouraged HRPP supporters to gatecrash FAST events to counter "brainwashing".
[59] FAST aligned MPs were frequently absent from parliamentary sessions during its final sitting, resulting in the deputy speaker pledging to discipline them.
[60] The day before the 16th Parliament's dissolution, the prime minister ordered a commission of inquiry to investigate the MPs' absences and unspecified "treasonous acts" related to campaign speeches.
[70] Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa's entry into FAST boosted appeal for the party, partly due to her chiefly and political lineage.
[66][71] However, some observers said the party lacked a clear campaign strategy which had been the case for the past few election cycles; instead, relying on the personality-based nature of Samoan politics.
[71] The HRPP faced more hurdles than in previous elections; an alleged mishandling of the 2019 measles epidemic damaged the party's standing amongst many members of the public.
The party also intended to form a commission of inquiry to investigate the 2019 measles epidemic and assign more qualified doctors to district hospitals to prevent future outbreaks.
Like FAST, the TSP favoured implementing term limits for the prime minister, repealing the Land and Titles bills and permitting overseas voting.
[85] Polling officials detected a counting glitch in the Vaimauga 2 constituency, which had incorrectly showed the TSP candidate leading two HRPP contestants.
[88] Three candidates won their seats uncontested; one was FAST Leader Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa, and the other two were HRPP members; Prime Minister Tuila‘epa Sa‘ilele Malielegaoi and Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.
[93] The legislative assembly clerk, Tiatia Graeme Tualaulei, announced shortly after the election that parliament would not convene until the Supreme Court resolved all electoral petitions.
Prime Minister Tuila‘epa refused to accept the results; he announced the HRPP would appeal both rulings and that his caretaker government would remain in power until the resolution of all electoral petitions in court.
[2] On 22 May, Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese rejected an attempt by Attorney-General Savalenoa Mareva Betham Annandale to nullify the order for parliament to convene.
[111] Malielegaoi denounced the ruling as "illegal", called for the Supreme Court justices to stand trial and said the HRPP caucus would not be sworn in without the additional female MP.
[114] The HRPP MPs refused to attend, and when the O le Ao o le Malo did not appear,[4] the FAST caucus conducted an ad hoc ceremony in a tent outside parliament, swearing in its members with former attorney-general Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu acting as the clerk;[3] Mataʻafa took the oath of office to become Samoa's first female prime minister and Ponifasio became deputy prime minister.
The order confirmed Mataʻafa's appointment as Samoa's first female prime minister and FAST's victory, ending nearly four decades of HRPP governance and Malielegaoi's premiership of over 22 years.
[4] After the ruling, Fiamē and FAST began to receive congratulatory messages from state leaders, with one of the first coming from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
[120][121] In August 2021, Malielegaoi claimed that his party's defeat resulted from a "feminist plot" instigated by Ardern and suggested she wanted "a female prime minister for Samoa".
Malielegaoi also alleged that the New Zealand government was significantly involved in the constitutional crisis; and cited Ardern's swift congratulations on the new prime minister as "proof".
[126] The day before the parliamentary sitting, the speaker barred the HRPP caucus from attending the convention of parliament and refusing to swear them in, citing a "continual opposition and non-acceptance of the current government".
[142] The following year in May 2022, the Supreme Court ordered the speaker to swear in three additional members, Aliʻimalemanu Alofa Tuuau and Faagasealii Sapoa Feagiai of the HRPP and Toʻomata Norah Leota of FAST.