Prime Minister of Samoa

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The prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa (Template:Langx) is the head of government of Samoa. The prime minister is a member of the Legislative Assembly, and is appointed by the O le Ao o le Malo (Head of State) for a five-year term. Since independence in 1962, a total of seven individuals have served as prime minister. The incumbent was disputed due to the 2021 constitutional crisis, when Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi refused to accept the results of the 2021 general election. On 23 July 2021, the Samoan Court of Appeal ruled that the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party had been in government since 24 May.[1] Tuilaʻepa then conceded defeat, resulting in FAST party leader Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa becoming prime minister.[2]

History of the office

Colonial period

The first prime minister during the colonial period was Albert Barnes Steinberger, who originally represented the American government in the Samoan Islands but was close to German commercial interests. After the indigenous authorities of the islands adopted the Constitution of 1873, Steinberger was appointed prime minister by King Malietoa Laupepa in July 1875. He held this post for seven months before the British and American consuls in the country persuaded Laupepa to dismiss him, seeing his role as German interference in the islands. Over the next two decades, there was no prime minister in the country, and in 1899 Samoa fell under the colonial rule of the Western powers, being divided as a German colony and an American colony at the end of the Second Samoan Civil War, according to the terms of the Tripartite Convention.[3]

At the beginning of the World War I, German Samoa was occupied by New Zealand in 1914, and was subsequently organized as a trust territory of New Zealand in 1920.

Post-independence period

The position of prime minister replaced the office of the leader of government business in 1959, whilst the country was a territory of New Zealand. High chief Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II became Samoa’s first prime minister on 1 October 1959.[4]

After Samoa (then known as Western Samoa) gained independence on 1 January 1962, the prime minister's office remained intact, and the premiership of Fiamē Mataʻafa continued.[4] The head of state, or O le Ao o le Malo (initially held by two individuals), was established as a ceremonial office.[5] In 1991, the legislative assembly passed a bill proposed by Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana's Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) to increase the parliamentary term (and hence the premiership) from three to five years. Which therefore extended the time a prime minister can serve without renewing their mandate.[6]

From 24 May to 23 July 2021, the premiership was in dispute due to an inconclusive result from the 2021 general election and the subsequent constitutional crisis. The claimants were long-serving prime minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi of the HRPP, and Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa of Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST), a former deputy prime minister and daughter of Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II. On 23 July, the Supreme Court ruled that Fiamē Naomi's FAST government was legitimate since 24 May. Tuilaʻepa conceded defeat on 26 July and ceded power the following day, resulting in Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa becoming Samoa's first female prime minister and ending nearly 35 years of HRPP rule.[7][8][9]

Powers and appointment

The Constitution, adopted in 1960 during the transitional period of autonomy, provides that the executive power is vested in the head of state (O le Ao o le Malo), elected by the Legislative Assembly, and who acts only on the recommendation of the government. The head of state has royal assent powers to sign bills into law and dissolve Parliament. Executive power is exercised by the prime minister and their cabinet. The prime minister is appointed by the head of state as a member of the Legislative Assembly who enjoys the confidence of a majority in the Legislative Assembly (Article 32 (2) (a)). The prime minister may be removed from office by the Legislative Assembly (Article 33 (1) (b)). Samoa is thus a parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster system.[10]

List of officeholders

Political parties

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP)

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  Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST)
Status

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  Denotes acting prime minister
Symbols

<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>† Died in office

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Samoa (1875–1876)

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Election Term of office Political party Monarch
Took office Left office Time in office
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black" | 1 File:Albert Barnes Steinberger.jpg Albert Barnes Steinberger
(1840–1894)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— 22 May 1875 8 February 1876 Template:Ayd Independent Laupepa
Post abolished (8 February 1876 – 1 October 1959)

Prime Ministers of the Independent State of Samoa (1959–present)

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Election (Parliament)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Term of office Political party O le Ao o le Malo
(Head(s) of state)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Took office Left office Time in office
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color; color:black" | 1 File:Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II in Wellington 1962 (cropped).jpg Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II
(1921–1975)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		1961 (1st)
1964 (2nd)
1967 (3rd) 		1 October 1959 25 February 1970 Template:Ayd Independent Meaʻole & Tanumafili II
Tanumafili II
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black" | 2 File:Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV.jpg Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV
(1922–1983)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		1970 (4th) 25 February 1970 20 March 1973 Template:Ayd Independent
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black" | (1) File:Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II in Wellington 1962 (cropped).jpg Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II
(1921–1975)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		1973 (5th) 20 March 1973 20 May 1975<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>[†] Template:Ayd Independent
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black" | — File:Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV.jpg Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV
(1922–1983)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Acting prime minister Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— (5th) 21 May 1975 24 March 1976 Template:Ayd Independent
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black" | 3 File:Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi (cropped).jpg Tupuola Efi
(born 1938)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		1976 (6th)
1979 (7th) 		24 March 1976 13 April 1982 Template:Ayd Independent
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white" | 4 File:Coat of arms of Samoa.svg Vaʻai Kolone
(1911–2001)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		1982 (8th) 13 April 1982 18 September 1982 Template:Ayd HRPP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black" | (3) File:Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi (cropped).jpg Tupuola Efi
(born 1938)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— (8th) 18 September 1982 31 December 1982 Template:Ayd Independent
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white" | 5 File:Tofilau Eti Alesana 1983 (cropped).jpg Tofilau Eti Alesana
(1924–1999)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— (8th)
1985 (9th) 		31 December 1982 30 December 1985 Template:Ayd HRPP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white" | (4) File:Coat of arms of Samoa.svg Vaʻai Kolone
(1911–2001)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— (9th)
1988 (10th) 		30 December 1985 8 April 1988 Template:Ayd HRPP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white" | (5) File:Tofilau Eti Alesana 1983 (cropped).jpg Tofilau Eti Alesana
(1924–1999)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— (10th)
1991 (11th)
1996 (12th) 		8 April 1988 23 November 1998 Template:Ayd HRPP
rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Party color; color:white" | 6 File:Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi 2018.jpg Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi
(born 1945)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— (12th)
2001 (13th)
2006 (14th)
2011 (15th)
2016 (16th) 		23 November 1998 24 May 2021 Template:Ayd HRPP
Tupua Tamasese Efi
Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white" | 7 File:Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa 2 June 2022.jpg Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
(born 1957)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		2021 (17th) 24 May 2021 Incumbent Template:Ayd FAST

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:1050 height:auto barincrement:14 PlotArea = top:3 bottom:80 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today = 24/10/2026

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1959 till:$today TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1961 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1959

Colors = 

 id:none  value:gray(0.7)    legend:Independent 
 id:hrpp  value:darkblue     legend:Human_Rights_Protection_Party
 id:fast  value:red          legend:Faʻatuatua_i_le_Atua_Samoa_ua_Tasi

Legend = columns:1 left:130 top:40 columnwidth:230

TextData = 

 pos:(20,45) textcolor:black fontsize:M
 text:"Political parties:"

BarData = 

 bar:FiameMata'afaFaumuinaMulinu'uII
 bar:TupuaTamaseseLealofiIV
 bar:TuiAtuaTupuaTamaseseEfi
 bar:Va'aiKolone
 bar:TofilauEtiAlesana
 bar:TuilaepaAionoSaileleMalielegaoi
 bar:FiameNaomiMata'afa

PlotData= 

 width:5 align:left fontsize:s shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

 bar:FiameMata'afaFaumuinaMulinu'uII
  from: 01/10/1959 till: 25/02/1970 color:none 
  from: 20/03/1973 till: 20/05/1975 color:none text:"Mulinu'u II"
 bar:TupuaTamaseseLealofiIV
  from: 25/02/1970 till: 20/03/1973 color:none 
  from: 21/05/1975 till: 24/03/1976 color:none text:"Lealofi IV"
 bar:TuiAtuaTupuaTamaseseEfi
  from: 24/03/1976 till: 13/04/1982 color:none 
  from: 18/09/1982 till: 31/12/1982 color:none text:"Tupuola Efi"
 bar:Va'aiKolone
  from: 13/04/1982 till: 18/09/1982 color:hrpp
  from: 30/12/1985 till: 08/04/1988 color:hrpp text:"Va'ai Kolone"
 bar:TofilauEtiAlesana 
  from: 31/12/1982 till: 30/12/1985 color:hrpp
  from: 08/04/1988 till: 23/11/1998 color:hrpp text:"Tofilau Eti Alesana"
 bar:TuilaepaAionoSaileleMalielegaoi
  from: 23/11/1998 till: 24/05/2021 color:hrpp text:"Tuila'epa"
 bar:FiameNaomiMata'afa
  from: 24/05/2021 till: $today color:fast text:"Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa"

</timeline>

See also

Notes

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

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Template:Notelist

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Malama Meleisea, Lagaga: A Short History of Western Samoa, Apia, University of the South Pacific, 1987, Template:ISBN, pp.83-85
  4. ↑ a b Mata'afa, friend to all, who led Samoa 'long and loyally' Pacific Islands Monthly, July 1975, p7
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Constitution of Samoa

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External links

Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Samoa topics Template:Heads of state and government of Oceania Template:Prime Minister

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