The parliamentary seats for the nine MPs of Samoa's newly established Tautua Samoa political party have been officially declared vacant.
The announcement came in a public notice from the office of the parliamentary speaker published this week in the government newspaper, The Savali.
The Electoral Commissioner's office is due to issue a writ announcing the dates of the by-elections by Friday next week.
The Tautua Samoa party is seeking a court injunction to stop the speaker's ruling but it is yet to be heard.
Meanwhile one of the nine MPs involved in the ruling, Toluono Feti, who is representing Palauli constituency, has resigned from the Tautua Samoa party.