Sāmoa confirms district office leaders as PM defends appointments after bribery ruling

Despite earlier delays, the Sāmoan government has confirmed the appointment of chairpersons for all 51 District Development Program offices, with the Prime Minister defending several contested decisions following weeks of political scrutiny.

Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt announced the appointments on Wednesday, saying the district offices or Fono Faavae would now proceed after a revised process for leadership selection.

The confirmation comes after weeks of uncertainty, following a missed 12 January reopening deadline and the lack of a publicly released list of chairpersons.

The revised process has drawn criticism from opposition MPs who argue it weakens the traditional role of elected representatives in district oversight.

The changes removed the automatic appointment of sitting MPs as chairpersons and opened applications to unsuccessful election candidates.

The opposition Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) publicly challenged the legitimacy of the process and sought legal advice.

HRPP MP for Faleata I, Faumuina Opapo Oeti, says he applied for the chairperson role and supports the Fono Faavae project. PM Laaulialemalietoa confirmed the appointment of Manuleleua Paletasala Tovale as chair. Faleata I registered the largest voter roll at the 2025 election and is one of the most populated districts in Samoa. Photo/HRPP/Facebook

Several opposition MPs have reportedly disputed government claims about applicants, adding to political tension.

Addressing opposition claims that they rejected only the revised appointment process - and not the Fono Faavae programme itself - Laaulialemalietoa told local media that reports from the interview panel showed otherwise.

“The report that came back from those who did the interviews [found that] five MPs rejected the new process that was implemented and rejected the project itself,” Laaulialemalietoa says.

On 21 November 2025, Samoa Global News shared snippets of the Electoral Court decision for the Faasaleleaga II election petition, on their website. The snippets show that the petitioner (Magele Sekati Fiaui) was found guilty of bribery. Photo/Samoa Global News

The Prime Minister also confirmed the reappointment of Magele Sikati Fiaui as chairperson for Faasaleleaga II, a district in Savaii, after a Supreme Court ruling in November that found him guilty of bribery related to Fono Faave funds during an election petition. The court disqualified him from standing for election for 10 years.

Laaulialemalietoa says the judgment did not establish misuse of public funds. “The court did not find him to have misused funds. It was about the timing of the use of the funds,” the Prime Minister says, adding that “the investigation clearly showed that the Fono Faavae money was used for district developments”.

The Prime Minister cautioned against implying wider financial misconduct, adding that Magele was the sole applicant for the Faasaleleaga II chairperson position, and that the sitting HRPP MP did not apply.

When questioned about governance concerns, Laaulialemalietoa said existing rules do not regulate Fono Faavae spending during parliamentary transitions and that the government is reviewing those rules.

Watch PM Laaulialemalietoa read the list of Fono Faavae Chairpersons below.

The Fono Faavae programme, launched in 2021 under the Faatuatua i le Atua Sāmoa ua Tasi (FAST) party, provides district-level development funding administered through the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development.

Annual allocations for each district rose from ST$1 million (NZ$623,000) to ST$1.8m (NZ$1.12m) from 2025.

Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa verbally read the list to the media, noting 11 of the 51 districts would have co-chairpersons - one aligned with FAST, the other an MP from the HRPP or Independent seats.

No formal confirmation has been given on when the Fono Faavae offices will reopen.

List of appointments for Fono Faavae Chairpersons. Photo/PMN News