Samoa’s Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has been locked out of the Pacific nation’s parliament after her political rival refused to cede power despite losing a general election in April.
Mata’afa arrived at the Pacific nation’s parliament on Monday, accompanied by judges, ready to form a new government and take the oath as the country’s first female prime minister.
But police barred her from entering the legislative chamber and the parliament clerk said he could only allow parliament to sit on the orders of the appointed head of state, an ally of outgoing Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.
Coup claims that Samoa’s elected leader is locked out of parliament. Election news
Samoa’s elected prime minister, Naomi Mata’afa, has been excluded from the Pacific National Parliament because his political opponents refused to give way despite the April general election.
Mataafa arrived at the Pacific National Assembly on Monday, accompanied by a judge, preparing to form a new government, and was sworn to become the country’s first female prime minister.
But the police prohibited her from entering the legislative chamber. The secretary of the parliament said that he could only allow the parliament to sit under the order of the appointed head of state, who was the outgoing prime minister Tuilaepa Seleele Malile. Roy (Tailaepa Sailele Malielegaoi).
With the doors to the parliament kept locked, the party that won Samoa's election has decided to conduct its own ceremony outside to become the country's next Government.
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