Politics of Samoa

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Samoa

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Samoa

Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi Fono Political parties Elections Districts (Itūmālō) Foreign relations

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Politics of Samoa takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Samoa is the head of government. The government generally controls the legislative assembly as it is formed from the party which controls the majority seats in the assembly. Executive power is exercised by the government. legislative power is vested in the assembly, but the government generally controls legislation through its weight of numbers in the Fono. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Contents 1 Executive branch 1.1 System of Government 2 Judicial System 3 Political history 3.1 Pre-European 3.2 Pre-Colonial 3.3 Colonial Period 3.4 Modern political history 4 Political parties and elections 5 Administrative divisions 6 External links

[edit] Executive branch

Main office holders

Office	Name	Party	Since
O le Ao o le Malo	Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II		1 January 1962
Prime Minister	Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi	HRPP	24 November 1998

The 1960 Constitution, which formally came into force with independence, is based on the British Westminster model of parliamentary democracy, modified to take account of Samoan customs. Two of Samoa's four highest ranking paramount chiefs (Tama a Aiga) at the time of independence were given lifetime appointments to jointly hold the office of head of state while a third, Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II, became its first Prime Minister. Malietoa Tanumafili II has held the post of Head of State alone since the death of his colleague, Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole, in 1963. His eventual successor will be selected by the legislature for a five-year term. At the time the Constitution was adopted it was anticipated that future Heads of State would be chosen from among the four Tama-a-Aiga 'royal' paramount chiefs. However, this is not required by the Constitution and for this reason Samoa can be considered a republic rather than a constitutional monarchy like the United Kingdom. Parliament (the Fono) can also amend the constitution through a simple majority of votes in the house.

[edit] System of Government

The system is based on the British Westminster model of parliamentary democracy where the executive and the legislative arms of government are fused together. The prime minister is chosen by a majority in the Fono and is appointed by the head of state to form a government. The prime minister's preferred cabinet of 12 is appointed and sworn in by the head of state, subject to the continuing confidence of the Fono, which since the rise of political parties in Samoa in the 1980s, is controlled by the party with the majority of members in the Fono (the government).

The unicameral legislature, named the Fono Aoao Faitulafono (National Legislative Assembly) contains 49 members serving five-year terms. Forty-seven are elected from ethnic Samoan territorial constituencies; the other two are chosen by the Samoan citizens of non-Samoan origin on a separate electoral roll. Universal suffrage was extended in 1990, but only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Samoan seats. There are more than 25,000 matai in the country, about 5% of whom are women.

[edit] Judicial System

The judicial system is based on English common law and local customs. The Court of Appeal is the court of highest jurisdiction, and consists of Commonwealth (usually New Zealand) judges. The Court of Appeal has a limited jurisdiction to hear only those cases referred to it by the Supreme Court. Below the Supreme Court are the district courts. The chief justice of the Supreme Court is appointed by the Head of State on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

Perhaps the most important court in Samoa is the Land and Titles court, consisting of cultural and judicial experts appointed by the supreme court. This court hears village land and title succession disputes. The court derives from the Native Land and Titles Court put in place under the German colonial administration in 1901. Samoa's political stability is thought to be due in large part to the success of this court in hearing disputes.

[edit] Political history

[edit] Pre-European

• Until about 1860 Samoa operated under a fractured political system, with no centralised government. Villages were ruled autonomously by their matai and aligned themselves into district and sub-district political entities for common causes - such as war. However, the leading paramount titles of all districts were nationally recognised. Before the Tongan invasion and occupation of most of Upolu and Savaii, the highest nationally recognised title was the Tu'i Manu'a from the Manu'a islands in the far east of the Samoan chain. However, after the Tongans were driven out, political precedence moved west to the highest paramount titles of Upolu and Savaii. One of the most prominent was the Malietoa title, which arose from the shouted chants of the Tongan military commanders: "Ua Malie Toa, Ua Malie Tau!" (Brave warriors, splendidly fought).

• By the 1600s, the titles of the descendants of these Tongan conquerors were amongst the most hotly contested titles in Samoan politics. The four highest titles in all of Samoa west of Manu'a (which remained politically independent) were collectively called the 'Tafa'ifa' (four-sided). These four 'royal' titles were rarely held by the same person due to continual wars of succession. In times when they were, that person was ceremonially recognised as the Tapa'au (supreme head) over all districts west of Manu'a (which was ruled by the Tu'i Manu'a). A woman - Salamasina Malietoa - was the first such holder of all four titles and thus became the first Tafa'ifa ceremonial head or 'Queen' of the country.

[edit] Pre-Colonial

• By the time christianity came to Samoa via the London Missionary Society's (LMS) John Williams, Malietoa Vainu'upo was the holder of the Tafa'ifa. The two met at Sapapalii village (Savaii) in 1830 where Malietoa converted to the new religion. This opened up Samoa for more Christian denominations, who promptly followed the LMS. Malietoa died with his mavaega (last wishes) being that the Tafa'ifa titles be held by four different people in an effort to keep the peace in Samoa. This wish never fully bore fruit. For much of the 19th century after Malietoa Vainuupo's death, Samoa's clans again fought over succession to the Tafa'ifa titles in various civil wars as had been the case for centuries. This set the scene for the European Colonial powers to take sides, as the American, British, and German consuls played out their own political rivalries at the same time.

[edit] Colonial Period

• 1860 - 1889 Ruled by Matai, directed by American, British and German consuls.
• 1889 - 1899 governed conjointly by "Three Power Pact" signed in Berlin in 1899.
• 1889 - 1914 Western Samoa becomes a German Colony; Eastern Samoa becomes an American Territory.
• 1914 - 1920 Western Samoa occupied by New Zealand Expeditionary Force when WW I starts.
• 1920 - 1946 Western Samoa held and administered by NZ under League of Nations Mandate.
• 1946 - 1962 Western Samoa administered by NZ under direction of UN Trusteeship Council.
• 1953 - NZ offers progressive plan towards self government and the first Executive Council is established.
• 1954 - The Constitutional Convention accepts the NZ plan for self government.
• 1956 - A New Executive Council established, the Fono of Faipule is abolished, Legislative Assembly reorganized and enlarged.
• 1958 - NZ Reparation Estates are handed over to Samoan control and renamed Western Samoan Trust Estates Corporation.
• 1960 - The Constitutional Convention with 174 delegates (including ten expatriates) begins process of independence.
• 1961 - Adult Samoans vote overwhelmingly in a UN sponsored plebiscite to become independent.
• January 1, 1962 - Western Samoa becomes an independent sovereign state.

[edit] Modern political history

From independence until the 1970s, Fono debate was conducted in the typical 'consensus' style manner of the faamatai system in the villages. This meant due deference was usually shown to the Tama-a-Aiga within parliament (the highest ranking chiefs in the nation). Debate usually ended up with the members supporting the then Tama-a-Aiga prime minister or other highly ranked chiefs in the house. Fiame Mataafa Mulinuu II was re-elected as Prime Minister unopposed for most of the period between 1962 and 1975. There were no political parties in these consensus-style parliaments of the 1960s and early 1970s. In the 1970-73 parliament, the first woman speaker of the Fono was chosen.

However, rising competition and differences in views between MPs in the 1970s led to the establishment of the first political party - the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) in 1979. The 1978 election was the first time a non-Tama-a-Aiga was chosen as Prime Minister. The election of Tupuola Efi to the prime ministership by his supporters was met with staunch opposition from various quarters of the Fono and caused huge controversy at the time. The HRPP was set up in part to oppose the then Prime Minister, Tupuola Efi (later to become TuiAtua Tupua Tamasese Efi), and to demand greater rights for farmers. One of the founding members was Vaai Kolone - a famous farmer turned politician from the rural Savaii constituency of Vaisigano.

Since 1982, the majority party in the Fono has been the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). HRPP leader Tofilau Eti Alesana served as prime minister for nearly all of the period between 1982 and 1998, when he resigned due to health reasons. Tofilau Eti was replaced by his deputy, Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi.

Parliamentary elections were held in March 2001. The Human Rights Protection Party, led by Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi, won 30 of the 49 seats in the current Fono. The Samoa Democratic United Party, led by Le Mamea Ropati, is the main opposition. Other political parties are the Samoa Party, the Christian Party, and the Samoa Progressive Political Party.

The March 2006 elections were again won by the HRPP by an even larger margin than 2001. The HRPP won 32 seats to the SDUP's 10, with a third major party - the Samoa Party - not gaining any. The majority of indepedents joined the HRPP to increase the party's majority to 39 seats in the 49 seat parliament.

Internal SDUP infighting led to the party's parliamentary members splitting. Leader Le Mamea Ropati was ousted in a coup led by deputy leader Asiata Dr Saleimoa Vaai, who then assumed leadership of the SDUP. Le Mamea and supporters became independents and thus reduced the SDUP's MPs to only 7. This was not enough to be formally recognised in the Fono as an official opposition party (they needed at least 8 MPs). Therefore there is no official opposition party recognised in the Samoan parliament at present.

[edit] Political parties and elections

For other political parties see List of political parties in Samoa. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Samoa.

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 31 March 2006 Samoa Fono election results

Parties	Seats
Human Rights Protection Party	35
Samoan Democratic United Party	10
Independents	4
Samoa Party	0
Samoa Progressive Political Party	0
The Christian Party	0
Total	49
Source: Fono web site. The numbers for HRPP include five independents who joined HRPP after the election. Adam Carr, Zee and Pacific Magazine give various different results. According to Adam Carr because in double-member seats voters cast two votes, it is not possible to give national aggregate votes by party.

The Samoa Democratic United Party (formed after the 2001 elections) bringing together the Samoa National Development Party and the Samoa Independent Party) is led by the long serving Member of Parliament, Hon. Le Mamea Ropati Mualia. Other parties include(d) the Samoan Progressive Conservative Party, the Samoa All People's Party, and the Samoa Liberal Party.

[edit] Administrative divisions

Samoa is divided in 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano.

[edit] External links

• Constitution of the Independent State of Western Samoa 1960
• The Parliament of Samoa - Official website