The Samoa Prime Minister, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, has announced general elections for the 4th of March, 2016. Photo: RNZI / Monica Miller
Samoa is set to go to the polls for the country's next general election on the 4th of March next year.
The election date was announced by the Prime Minister, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, with the current parliament set to be dissolved in three months time.
The Acting Electoral Commissioner, Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio, says 10,000 new voters and electors have been registered so far but there is still two more months to go before all electoral rolls are closed in November.
He says the law has also been tightened to ensure voting remains confidential.
"The secrecy of any citizens votes is not taken lightly by the law. We did an amendment to the electoral law increasing the penalties for people that might infringe with other peoples vote."
Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio says the penalty for this been increased from three months, to 12 months imprisonment.
