Taioaliiseu Resigns from Parliament, says he will Accept the Decision of Voters in the upcoming By-Election

2026-03-10 - 02:47

Tuesday 10 March 2026, Apia Samoa. The former Member of Parliament for Vaimauga No. 3, Taioaliiseu Saunia Fiti Aimaasu, who had made known his intentions to leave the opposition Human Rights Protection Party, officially resigned from Parliament this morning to officialy join the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party. His resignation means the seat for Vaimauga No. 3 is now vacant, and voters in the district will soon return to the polls to elect a new Member of Parliament, where Taioaliiseu is expected to run under FAST. Speaking to the media outside Parliament today, Taioaliiseu said he will accept the decision of his district in the upcoming by-election. If voters of Vaimauga No. 3 decide differently, he will humbly respect their decision. “Afai e ese le finagalo a lo’u itumalo, ou te faaaloalo ma le loto maualalo i le faaaiuga a tagata..” Crossing the floor from HRPP to FAST, Taioaliiseu said a defining moment that influenced his decision, was when the [HRPP] party called for their resignation as Chairpersons of their District Developmet Committees. “Sa aumai le aveai, e saini se tusi matou te faamavae, ma ia o ese mai tofiga..” According to Taioaliiseu, there was a call from the Party, for those of them who had been selected as Chairs and Co-Chairs of DDCs, to resign and step away. He said that as a representative chosen by the people of Vaimauga 3, he felt the situation was not right and it did not sit well with his beliefs. He said the way things were handled did not reflect the leadership style he believes should guide his district. Taiaaliiseu reiterated what he has widely shared on social media in the past week – that his decision had come from discussions with members of his district. The outgoing MP says many of his constituents expressed the view that the Constituent should support the direction of the current government. “Sa momoli mai foi le latou tofa, e agai e lagolago le finagalo o le Malo..” When asked by the media if he was confident about returning to Parliament through the by-election, Taioaliiseu said no one enters an election with certainty. He explained that elections are difficult and never easy. He admiitted that stepping down from his seat was not an easy decision. However, he said he is ready to continue serving his district through the FAST Party. “E le faigofie. E leasi se mautinoa i nei ituaiga faigapalota, ma e faigata ma e le faigofie lenei tulaga, aua e toatele tagata o le atunuu o loo momoo i lenei tulaga..” Taioaliiseu said that holding a political position is a privilege and a blessing, and he understands that by resigning he is letting go of that honour for now. However, he said he respects the law and believes the people of his district should decide through a democratic vote. “Leai se isi auala e mafai ona ou faia, na o le alu i le faigapalota.” “There is no other way for me but to go through the election process again,” he said.