Former Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi is accusing the New Zealand Government of being "heavily involved" in his election defeat to Fiame Naomi Mata'afa earlier this year.
Tuilaepa told TV1 Samoa on Sunday he was "very suspicious" New Zealand was behind his defeat - because NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wanted Samoa to have a female leader.
Mata'afa was elected Samoa's first female Prime Minister on April 9 but only took office last month after Tuilaepa repeatedly refused to hand over his power.
"It looks like the New Zealand Prime Minister wanted Samoa to have a female Prime Minister, which has blinded her [Ardern] from seeing if it's something that is in line with our constitution," Tuilaepa told TV1, as reported by the Samoa Observer.
Ardern's office told The Guardian the claims were groundless.
Late last month, the Court of Appeal ruled Mata'afa's FAST Party was in fact the legitimate government of Samoa and finally took office after months'-long political turmoil.
Tuilaepa had previously accused the FAST Party of "treason" and "the highest form of illegal conduct".
Ahead of taking office, Mata'afa told The AM Show she was thankful the coup was over - calling it "a win for the rule of law".
"The government was sliding away from the rule of law and that would have shattered the foundations this country stands on," she said in July.
