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| Constitution |
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.
The Legislative Assembly consisted of 45 Samoan members elected from 41 one or two-member constituencies and two 'individual voters' elected from a nationwide two-member constituency. Voting in the Samoan constituencies was restricted to Matai, while only citizens of European origin could vote in the individual voters constituency. [1] Only around 15,567 people were enfranchised from a population of around 160,000.
HRPP candidates won 22 seats, 11 of which were newcomers to the Legislative Assembly. MPs who had supported the government of Tupuola Efi won 11 seats. Several sitting MPs lost their seats, including Economic Affairs Minister Letiu Tamatoa, Speaker Tuuu Faletoese, Deputy Speaker Aeau Taulupoo and five HRPP members. [2]
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| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
| Human Rights Protection Party | 22 | New | |||
| Independents | 25 | –22 | |||
| Total | 47 | 0 | |||
| Valid votes | 11,926 | 99.38 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 75 | 0.62 | |||
| Total ballots cast | – | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 15,567 | – | |||
| Source: Pacific Islands Monthly, Nohlen et al. | |||||
In the vote for prime minister on 13 April, HRPP leader Va'ai Kolone defeated Tupuola Efi by 24 votes to 23. Aiono Nonumalo Sofara of the HRPP was elected Speaker by the same margin, defeating Asi Faamatala. [3]
In June. a court annulled the result in Vaimauga East after finding the winning candidate – Fuataga Laulu, who was subsequently appointed Minister of Education – guilty of treating voters. [4] Later in the year the result in Kolone's seat was also annulled after a court decided his campaign had been illegal. [5] Tupuola Efi subsequently became prime minister in his place. Efi offered cabinet portfolios to new HRPP leader Tofilau Eti Alesana and Le Mamea Ropati, but they refused to attend the swearing-in ceremony in protest at Kolone's removal from office. [6] However, Efi resigned in December after the government budget was rejected and was replaced as prime minister by Eti Alesana. [7] Kolone returned to parliament in January after winning the by-election for his former seat. [7]
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.
The Human Rights Protection Party is a Samoan political party. It was founded in 1979 and dominated Samoan party politics for decades thereafter, leading every government until their defeat in 2021. Former prime minister Tuilaʻepa Sailele Malielegaoi has led the party since 1998.
SusugaTuilaʻepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Saʻilele Malielegaoi is a Samoan politician and economist who served as the sixth prime minister of Samoa from 1998 to 2021. Tuilaʻepa is Samoa's longest serving prime minister and was leader of the opposition from 2021 to 2022. Since 1998, he has led the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). Tuilaʻepa first entered parliament in 1981 when he won a by-election to represent the electorate of Lepā. He also served as deputy prime minister and minister of finance in the government of Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana, and also held the portfolios of Tourism and Trade, Commerce & Industry.
Matatumua Maimoana (1935–2012), also known as Matatumua Maimoaga Vermeulen, was a matai, politician, Nurse and Environmentalist of Samoa. Her chief title, Matatumua, was an orator's title from the village of Faleasiu. She was a former member of parliament in Samoa and the founder of the Samoa All People's Party (SAPP), becoming the first woman to lead a political party in the country. SAPP allowed people as young as 16, regardless of gender or whether they were matai to be officers in the organisation which included village branches. She was a founding member of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which has dominated Samoan politics in the last two decades.
Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi is a Samoan political leader and paramount chief, as holder of the maximal lineage Tupua Tamasese title. He also holds the royal pāpā title of Tui Ātua.
Vaʻai Kolone was the fourth prime minister of Samoa and a founder of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) in Samoa. He served as prime minister twice, first between 13 April and 18 September 1982, and then from 30 December 1985 until 8 April 1988.
The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) was a political party in Samoa. The party was founded in February 1985 by the supporters of former Prime Minister Tupuola Taisi Tufuga Efi. At the 1985 election the party won only 15 of 47 seats, but was able to form a coalition government in December 1985 after 11 Human Rights Protection Party MPs crossed the floor to vote against the budget of then-Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana. Va'ai Kolone became prime minister. While apparently retaining a majority after the 1988 election, the party lost power after the defection of Tanuvasa Livigisitone to the HRPP.
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.
Tuiletufuga Le Mamea Ropati Mualia is a Samoan politician, and member of the Council of Deputies. He has served as a Cabinet Minister, Leader of the Opposition and represented the constituency for Lefaga & Falese'ela for over thirty years. He was a founding member of the Human Rights Protection Party.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 22 February 1985. Voting was restricted to matai and citizens of European origin, with the Matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. The result was a victory for the Human Rights Protection Party, which won 31 seats. Its leader, Tofilau Eti Alesana, remained Prime Minister.
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 Samoa on 4 March 2011, to determine the composition of the 15th Parliament. Two parties contested the election, the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which had been in power for most of the time since 1982, led by Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi and the newly founded Tautua Samoa Party (TSP) led by Vaʻai Papu Vailupe, which several minor parties had merged into. The election occurred following amendments to the electoral act in 2009, including the introduction of the Monotoga law, a requirement for aspiring candidates to dedicate traditional village service and commitments. As a result, three TSP aspiring candidates, including a challenger for the prime minister's seat, were disqualified by the Supreme Court for failing to satisfy this law.
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 21 February 1976. 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, Tupuola Efi became prime minister.
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 26 February 1988. Voting was restricted to Matai and citizens of European origin, with the Matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. Although the Human Rights Protection Party received more than double the number of votes of the Coalition of the Christian Democratic Party and the Va'ai Kolone Group, it won one fewer seat. However, on the day of the election of the Prime Minister by Parliament, one Coalition MP defected to the HRPP, allowing its leader Tofilau Eti Alesana to be elected 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.
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.
The deputy prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa is the deputy head of government of Samoa. The deputy prime minister is a member of the Legislative Assembly and cabinet, and is appointed by the O le Ao o le Malo on the advice of the prime minister. The incumbent, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party, has served since 2021. His role was disputed from 24 May to 23 July due to the 2021 constitutional crisis, which was resolved when the Samoan Court of Appeal ruled that the FAST government was legitimate.
