Samoa's likely new prime minister has announced that "the era of God-centred leadership" has begun in the country after the provisional results of its snap election have shown a new government will almost certainly be formed.
La'auli Leuatea Schmidt, the leader of the country's FAST party, claimed victory from Friday's national poll after provisional results showed his party picked up as many as 30 seats in the 51-seat parliament.
Caretaker Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, who has stayed silent since Friday's poll, looked almost certain to lose her title as the country's leader, with her party, the Samoa United Party, only picking up three seats.
Fiame, the country's first female leader, previously led the FAST party until she removed Mr Schmidt earlier this year after he was charged with a string of criminal offences, which are still to be heard in court.
She was later abandoned by the party, triggering a long-running political scandal that led to the election.
Long-term former leader of Samoa, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, looked set to remain in opposition after his party, HRPP, picked up about 12 seats.
The provisional results will be confirmed later this week in an "official" vote count, although in Samoa court cases and appeals can often delay the process of officially crowning a new government and a new leader.
But the overwhelming result from the FAST Party in the provisional results means it is almost certain to form government, barring any successful court cases and an unprecedented swing in some votes that are yet to be counted.
'The result is clear'
Speaking at a thanksgiving church service on Sunday, local time, in which he claimed victory, Mr Schmidt thanked his supporters and praised the guidance of his religion.
"Our country may have been divided by politics, but our foundation remains firm: Samoa is founded on God," Mr Schmidt said, as reported by the Samoa Observer.
"This moment belongs to Him."
Mr Schmidt, a popular leader despite his impending criminal cases, also referenced the long-running political turmoil that has engulfed the country, triggering Friday's election.
"We apologise to Samoa for the hardships endured during the long road to finding a government," he said.
"Since God blessed Samoa with FAST in 2021, the nation has faced many trials, and at times, we were even separated from our initial members earlier this year.
"The result is clear [in] Samoa, FAST has prevailed because we are blessed by God."
The reactions on the ground in the capital, Apia, have so far been based on party lines, with FAST party supporters celebrating at various events over the weekend. But supporters of the other parties have had low-key events, processing the results.
The election itself was peaceful, with only a small number of issues around contested results and the count itself.
However, the HRPP's Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi has since indicated he will challenge results in court.
Despite this challenge and the pending court cases, the provisional results over the weekend almost certainly end the reign of the country's first female prime minister.
Fiame has been labelled by some as a trailblazer who led in a new direction of accountability and more democratic rule.
But questions remained over her government's handling of the cost of living crisis, persistent power outages and the health system, as Samoa continues to grapple with a dengue fever outbreak that has killed multiple children.
As the first female leader of the country, Fiame also encountered a wave of gendered attacks and was once told in parliament she should have married so she could have been "advised" better.
