18 Jan 2006

Samoa opposition party takes lead in newspaper election survey

3:12 pm on 18 January 2006

The Samoa Democratic United Party has topped a small media poll where voters were asked as to which party they preferred to lead the country after the general elections.

The Samoa Observer newspaper carried out the poll on Saturday by asking 200 people.

The SDUP received the most votes on 86, the ruling Human Rights Protection Party got 64, the Samoa Party had 13, the Christian Party polled 11 and the Samoa Progressive Party got 8 votes.

18 respondents were undecided.

For the last five weeks, 423 voters chose SDUP leader, Le Mamea Ropati, as the preferred politician to be the prime minister while 292 backed the incumbent, Tuilaepa Sailele.

The election is to be held in March for a new parliament in which the Human Rights Protection Party currently has an overwhelming majority.