The politics of Samoa take place in a framework of parliamentary representative democracy 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.
From the country's independence in 1962, only matai could vote and stand as candidates in elections to parliament. In 1990, the voting system was changed by the Electoral Amendment Act which introduced universal suffrage. However, the right to stand for elections remains with matai title holders. Therefore, in the 51-seat parliament, all 49 Samoan Members of Parliament are also matai, performing dual roles as chiefs and modern politicians, with the exception of the two seats reserved for non-Samoans. At the local level, much of the country's civil and criminal matters are dealt with by some 360 village chief councils, Fono o Matai, according to traditional law, a practice further strengthened by the 1990 Village Fono Law.
The national government (malo) 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.
Executive branch
|O le Ao o le Malo |Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II |Independent |21 July 2017 |- |Prime Minister |Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa |FAST |24 May 2021
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 ʻāiga) at the time of independence, Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole and Malietoa Tanumafili II, were given lifetime appointments to jointly hold the office of head of state (O le Ao o le Malo). Another paramount chief, Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II was elected into parliament and became the first Prime Minister of Samoa. The fourth, Tuiaana Tuimalealiʻifano Suatipatipa II, was made a member of the Council of Deputies (deputy head of state). After Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole's death in 1963, Malietoa continued to hold the post of Head of State alone. He died in May 2007 and his successor, Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi was elected by the legislature for a five-year term in June 2007. At the time the Constitution was adopted it was anticipated that future Heads of State would be chosen from among the four tama a ʻāiga. However, this is not required by the Constitution and for this reason Samoa can be considered a parliamentary 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.
System of government
The Samoa system is a very hard 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.
Le Mamea Ropati is the sole current member of the Council of Deputies, and acts as deputy to the head of state.
Judicial system
The judicial system is based on English common law and local customs. The Supreme Court of Samoa is the court of highest jurisdiction. The Court of Appeal has 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 of Samoa, 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 Commission put in place under the German colonial administration in 1903. Samoa's political stability is thought to be due in large part to the success of this court in hearing disputes (Source?).
The current Chief Justice is Satiu Simativa Perese. Previous chief justices have included Conrad Cedercrantz (appointed first Chief Justice in 1890), Henry Clay Ide (1893–1897), William Lea Chambers (1897–c.1900), W.L. Taylor, C. Roberts, Charles Croft Marsack (1947–), Norman F. Smith and Gaven Donne (1972–1974)
Political history
Pre-European
Until about 1860 Samoa operated under an indigenous political system, Fa'amatai, 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 Savai'i, the highest nationally recognised titles were the Tu'i Manu'a from the Manu'a islands in the far east of the Samoa Islands chain, the Tui Atua from Atua and the Tui A'ana from A'ana (both on Upolu). The Tui Manu'a held the highest political power in Samoa and held political links with the Tui Tonga. Atua and A'ana were the predominant powers in Upolu and Savaii but acquiesced to the Tui Manu'a in the traditional hierarchy. When the Tui Tonga infiltrated the Upolu and Savaii, Atua and A'ana lost their pre-eminence in Samoan politics, only regaining it after the war against their Tongan overlords. However, after the Tongans were driven out, political precedence moved west to the highest paramount titles of Upolu and Savai'i. The strong links between the Tui Manu'a and the Tui Tonga greatly diminished the influence of Manu'a in Upolu and Savaii. Atua and A'ana regained their former glory, given their support of the Tuamasaga chiefs Tuna and Fata in driving out the Tongans. As a result of the leading role of Tuna and Fata in the war, the Tongans were driven out and subsequently gave rise to the Malietoa title, which arose from the shouted chants of the Tongan military commanders: "Ua Malie Toa, Ua Malie Tau!" (Brave warriors, splendidly fought). After the war of independence, the preeminence of the great titles of the ancient districts of Atua and A'ana was restored. However, the elite orator groups of Upolu and Savai'i needed a new power structure to defend the country from future infiltration of foreign invasion. The Tafa'ifa became the highest political office in Samoa west of Manu'a. The victory over the Tongans brought to power the Malietoa clan – a new force in Samoan politics. The first Malietoa title-holder – Malietoa Savea – led the government of Tuamasaga. However, the four highest titles in all of Samoa west of Manu'a (which remained politically independent) were collectively called the 'Tafa'ifa' (four-sided titles). These titles were the Tui A'ana from the district of A'ana, the Tui Atua from Atua, Gatoaitele and Tamasoalii from North and South Tuamasaga. The elite orators of Manu'a never recognised the legitimacy of the Tafa'ifa, but since the defeat of the Tui Tonga (their traditional ally), there was nothing Manu'a could do about the new political realignment that had taken place in the West. These four 'royal' titles were intensely fought over by the chiefly houses of all districts. In times when these titles were united in the same person, that person was ceremonially recognised as the Tapa'au Faasisina (supreme head) over all districts west of Manu'a (which was ruled by the Tu'i Manu'a). A woman – Salamasina – was the first such holder of all four titles and thus became the first Tafa'ifa ceremonial head or 'Queen' of the country. Her genealogical links to all corners of the country and to Tonga allowed her government (based at Leulumoega, A'ana) to maintain stability.
Pre-Colonial
By the time Christianity came to Samoa via the London Missionary Society (LMS) missionary John Williams, Malietoa Vaiinupo was the holder of the Tafa'ifa. The two met at Sapapali'i 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 Vaiinupo'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.
Colonial period
Samoa has been described as "theoretically independent" prior to 1899. 1860 – 1889 Governed 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 World War I starts. 1920 – 1945 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. 1957 – 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. 1 January 1962 – Western Samoa becomes an independent sovereign state. 1970 – Western Samoa becomes a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations.
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 – Leaupepe Faima'ala.