With dueling PMs, Samoa's democratic crisis drags on

Election winner Fiame gains legal and church support as incumbent refuses to quit

20210602 PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and Fiame Naomi Mata’afa

Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, left, and Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa: The former has refused to step aside after the latter narrowly won the island nation's election. (Source photos by Akira Kodaka and AP)

ELIZABETH BEATTIE, Contributing writer

June 2, 2021 16:09 JST

HONG KONG -- One question is gripping Samoa's divided public as they wait for a conclusion to the island nation's interminable post-election standoff: Where to from here?

The answer is likely to have significant bearing on the country's democratic future, as well as its relations with bigger Pacific players such as China and New Zealand.