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| Constitution |
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 21 February 1976. All candidates ran as independents and voting was restricted to Matai and citizens of European origin ("individual voters"), with the Matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. [1] Following the election, Tupuola Efi became prime minister.
In the aftermath of the previous elections held in 1973, parliament elected Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II to another non-consecutive term as prime minister, defeating the incumbent Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV and challenger Tupuola Efi. [2] Fiamē served as Western Samoa's head of government until his death two years later in 1975. The O le Ao o le Malo (head of state) Malietoa Tanumafili II appointed Tupua Tamasese to serve as acting prime minister until the next election. [3]
A total of 169 candidates contested the 47 seats. Four seats had only one candidate, who was returned unopposed. [4]
Of the 36 incumbent MLAs contesting the elections, only 14 were re-elected. Ministers Alfonso Philipp and Fepuleai Samuelu were amongst those losing their seats. [3]
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independents | 9,203 | 100.00 | 47 | |
| Total | 9,203 | 100.00 | 47 | |
| Valid votes | 9,203 | 98.95 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 98 | 1.05 | ||
| Total ballots cast | – | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 12,254 | – | ||
| Source: Nohlen et al. | ||||
The election result in Fa'asaleleaga No. 4 where I'iga Suafole had won by one vote was overturned following a petition by runner-up Mulitalo Siafausa, who claimed that unqualified voters had participated in the election. The Supreme Court annulled one vote for Suafole, and a by-election was ordered for the seat. [5]
Following the elections, the Legislative Assembly elected Leota Leuluaiali'i Ituau Ale as Speaker. In the contest for prime minister, Tupuola Efi defeated the incumbent Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV by 31 votes to 16, becoming the first prime minister not to hold one of the four Tama-a-Aiga titles. [3] Efi appointed a nine-member cabinet, while Lealofi resigned from the Assembly and was elected to the Council of Deputies. [3]
| Position | Minister |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Tupuola Efi |
| Minister of Agriculture | Fuimaono Mimio |
| Minister of Communications | Tofaeono Tile |
| Minister of Economic Affairs | Asi Eikeni |
| Minister of Education | Lilomaiava Niko |
| Minister of Finance | Vaovasamanaia Filipo |
| Minister of Justice | Ulualofaiga Talamaivao Niko |
| Minister of Lands | Mano Togamau |
| Minister of Works | Letiu Tamatoa |
Politics of Samoa takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic state whereby the Prime Minister of Samoa is the head of government. Existing alongside the country's Western-styled political system is the faʻamatai chiefly system of socio-political governance and organisation, central to understanding Samoa's political system.
Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II was a Western Samoan paramount chief and politician. The holder of the Mataʻafa title, one of the four main Samoan chieftainships, he became the first prime minister of Western Samoa in 1959, serving until 1970. He held the position again from 1973 until his death in 1975.
Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi is a Samoan paramount chief and politician. He heads one of Samoa's two royal families, the Sā Tupua, through the family's maximal lineage title, Tupua Tamasese. He also holds the ancient pāpā title of Tui Ātua.
General elections were held in Samoa on 2 March 2001 to determine the composition of the 13th Parliament. Four parties contested the election, including the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) and the main opposition Samoan National Development Party (SNDP). The HRPP was led into the election by Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, who succeeded Tofilau Eti Alesana in 1998 following his resignation.
Matāʻafa is one of the four paramount tama a ʻāiga titles of Samoa. It is one of two such titles originating from the Atua district at the east end of Upolu island and has its historical seat in the village of Amaile. Prominent holders of the title include Matāʻafa Iosefo of Falefa, one of the three rival candidates for the kingship of Samoa during the early colonial period, Mataʻafa Faumuina Fiame Mulinuʻu I of Lepea and Lotofaga, who became leader of Samoa's pro-independence Mau movement after Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III's assassination; and his son Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II (1921–1975), the first Prime Minister of Samoa.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 26 April 1996 to determine the composition of the 12th Parliament. The election occurred following constitutional amendments that extended the parliamentary term from three to five years and increased parliament's seat count from 47 to 49. Five parties contested the election, including the governing Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), led by Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana and the main opposition, the Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), led by Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi. The HRPP's popularity suffered a setback due to Chief Auditor Sua Rimoni Ah Chong's 1994 report, which brought to light government corruption. While the SNDP campaigned on anti-corruption, the party's perceived failure to provide checks on the HRPP meant the governing party faced few obstacles to re-election.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 4 April 1964, the first since independence in 1962. All candidates ran as independents. Following the elections, Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II remained prime minister.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 25 February 1967. All candidates ran as independents and voting was restricted to Matai and citizens of European origin, with the Matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. Following the election, Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II remained Prime Minister.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 7 February 1970. All candidates ran as independents, with voting restricted to matais and citizens of European origin, with the matais electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. Following the election, Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV became prime minister.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 24 February 1973. All candidates ran as independents and voting was restricted to matai and citizens of European origin, with the matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. Following the election, Fiame Mata'afa became Prime Minister for a second term, having previously held the office between 1959 and 1970.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 24 February 1979. Voting was restricted to matai and citizens of European origin, with the Matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. Although all candidates ran as independents, an opposition bloc had emerged following the 1976 election of Tupuola Efi as Prime Minister in Parliament.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 27 February 1982. The Human Rights Protection Party won 22 of the 47 seats in the Legislative Assembly and was able to form a government after three independents voted for its leader, Va'ai Kolone, in the vote for prime minister.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 5 April 1991, to determine the composition of the 11th Parliament. The elections were the first since the introduction of universal suffrage following a referendum held the previous year. However, candidates were still required to be Matai. The two main parties were the governing Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), led by Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana and the opposition Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), led by former Prime Minister Tupua Tamasese Efi.
Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV was the second prime minister of Samoa from 25 February 1970 to 20 March 1973 and again from 21 May 1975 to 24 March 1976. He held the title of Tupua Tamasese, one of the four main chiefly titles of Samoa from 1965 until his death in 1983.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 15 November 1957.
The Council of Deputies is a constitutional body in Samoa. Its members serve as Deputy O le Ao o le Malo and act as head of state when the office of O le Ao o le Malo is vacant or when the incumbent is unable to fulfill their duties due to absence or incapacitation.
Afioga Lesatele Rapi was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly and served in the cabinet three times between 1967 and his death.
To'omata Lilomaiava Tua was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1951 and as Minister of Lands from 1959, holding both roles until his death in 1970.
Tuatagaloa Tofa Siaosi was a Western Samoan politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1967 until 1973 and was Minister of Finance between 1970 and 1973.
Leota Leuluaiali'i Ituau Ale was a Samoan politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly in three spells from 1970 to 1996 and served as Speaker from 1976 to 1979.
