from Australia and New Zealand. The change was controversial as most vehicles were on the left-hand drive, generating one of the largest protests in Samoan history. The same month, Samoa was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami that claimed the lives of 158 people in the country. The prime minister faced criticism for allegedly mishandling relief funds. Eleven opposition MPs from the SDUP and independents formed the Tautua Samoa Party in 2008 to provide parliamentary opposition to the HRPP. Nine members of parliament subsequently aligned themselves with the new party. However, in 2009, speaker of parliament, Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Leiʻataua, declared their seats vacant and ordered by-elections to take place. The speaker argued the TSP members had broken parliamentary protocol by joining a new party during the legislative session. But the Supreme Court later ruled the speaker's decision to be unlawful, cancelling the by-elections and restoring the TSP MPs. The following year, parliament passed an amendment forbidding MPs from changing parties; those who would change their affiliation would have to run in a by-election to retain their seat. After the amendment's passage, only three MPs remained official TSP members and competed in subsequent by-elections; one member successfully retained his seat unopposed, while another secured a narrow win. Former party chair Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi was narrowly defeated by an HRPP member. In September 2010, the Samoa Party merged into the TSP. Feo Nemaia Esau, the Samoa Party's president, said the purpose of the merger was to strengthen the opposition. The TSP initially intended to refrain from electing a party leader until after the election to choose one of the successful parliamentary candidates. However, Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa described the party as a "headless monster" due to the absence of a TSP leader and challenged the party to select a leader before the election. The party elected Va'ai Papu Vailupe, son of former prime minister Vaai Kolone, as leader in December 2010. Electoral system During the time of the 2011 election, parliament was composed of 49 members, with all serving a five-year term. Forty-seven members represented forty-one village-based constituencies, of which six of the larger electorates had two MPs, while the rest were single-member constituencies. Two members, elected from a nationwide constituency, represented individual voters, mostly non-ethnic Samoans and individuals with partial Samoan ancestry. Except for the latter, to qualify, candidates were required to hold a matai title, while all were elected using the