members of the ruling party running unopposed, the HRPP was guaranteed six seats. Disqualified candidates Several parliamentary hopefuls either withdrew or had their candidacy revoked. In December 2010, veteran politician Tuilagi Motutoa Vavae Leo II, a former deputy speaker and HRPP candidate, was convicted by the Supreme Court of attempted sexual assault, terminating his campaign. A month before the election, the electoral commissioner disqualified three TSP candidates. The mayors in their respective villages had refused to sign their nomination forms due to their supposed failure to satisfy the monotoga law. One of the rejects, Tu‘ula Tuitui of the Saleapaga village, who was vying for the prime minister's seat, stated he had provided proof to the mayor that he had worked for the village in various ways, notably by taking part in recovery work after the 2009 earthquake and tsunami. Tu‘ula also claimed that chiefs and orators of Saleapaga had repeatedly requested he not run against the prime minister. The three TSP rejects unsuccessfully challenged their disqualifications in court. TSP founder Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi criticised the disqualifications and emphasised how no HRPP candidates were affected. However, he also highlighted that the TSP declined to have any candidates from the ruling party disqualified, expressing, "we believe that anybody can run, [and] exercise their right to compete in the election." Public servants Shortly before the poll, a cabinet directive ordered public servants running for Parliament to resign in contravention of Samoa's electoral act, which permits public servants to take special leave to contest elections. The TSP denounced the order as unconstitutional. Campaign The Human Rights Protection Party, which had been in power since 1982, promised to focus on health, education, agriculture, infrastructural development, the development of renewable energy, and a pledge to "turn Samoa into the sports hub of the Pacific". In a speech on 22 February, the Prime Minister emphasised the party's maturity and experience in government. He promised continuity in policies and drew attention to what he described as the government's major achievements in recent years: the election of the head of state; the development of infrastructure; economic growth, and the development of businesses and the private sector; a well-managed budget; the hosting of the 2007 South Pacific Games; the switching from right- to left-hand driving throughout the country and the government's response to the 2009 earthquake and tsunami. For the future, the prime minister announced a broad range of policies