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 Tuilaepa Sailele 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.

The HRPP won re-election with a majority of 29 seats, while three cabinet ministers were unseated. The TSP secured 13 seats and independents won seven. Only two of the seven female candidates were successful. Following the election, all the independents joined the HRPP, handing the party a two-thirds majority with 36 seats. Several successful candidates were later stripped of their seats by the Supreme Court due to electoral petitions, which included the TSP leader. As a result, the TSP replaced Vaʻai Papu Vailupe with Deputy Leader Palusalue Faapo II.

Background

During the previous general election held in 2006, the ruling Human Rights Protection Party won a landslide victory, winning 33 seats. The opposition Samoan Democratic United Party (SDUP) secured ten seats, and independents won the remaining six. The SDUP later lost one seat due to an electoral petition."Polynesia in Review: Samoa" , The Contemporary Pacific, 20, Spring 2008, p 244. Later that year, in August 2006, the SDUP removed its leader, Le Mamea Ropati, and replaced him with Deputy Leader Asiata Saleimoa Vaai. The SDUP then fragmented and led to the departure of two MPs from the party, including Le Mamea Ropati. As a result, the SDUP's recognition as a parliamentary party ceased because it fell below the eight-seat threshold, and the parliament classified the party's remaining MPs as independents.

On 11 May 2007, long-serving O le Ao o le Malo (head of state) Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II died. Parliament unanimously voted for Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi, a member of the Council of Deputies, former prime minister and son of former Co-Head of State Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole, to succeed Malietoa.

In September 2009, the government switched the country from right to left-hand driving to enable less costly vehicle imports from Australia and New Zealand. The change was controversial as most vehicles were on the left-hand drive, generating one of the largest protests in Samoan history. The same month, Samoa was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami that claimed the lives of 158 people in the country. The prime minister faced criticism for allegedly mishandling relief funds.

Eleven opposition MPs from the SDUP and independents formed the Tautua Samoa Party in 2008 to provide parliamentary opposition to the HRPP. Nine members of parliament subsequently aligned themselves with the new party. However, in 2009, speaker of parliament, Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Leiʻataua, declared their seats vacant and ordered by-elections to take place. The speaker argued the TSP members had broken parliamentary protocol by joining a new party during the legislative session. But the Supreme Court later ruled the speaker's decision to be unlawful, cancelling the by-elections and restoring the TSP MPs. The following year, parliament passed an amendment forbidding MPs from changing parties; those who would change their affiliation would have to run in a by-election to retain their seat. After the amendment's passage, only three MPs remained official TSP members and competed in subsequent by-elections; one member successfully retained his seat unopposed, while another secured a narrow win. Former Party Chair Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi was narrowly defeated by an HRPP member. In September 2010, the Samoa Party merged into the TSP. Feo Nemaia Esau, the Samoa Party's president, said the purpose of the merger was to strengthen the opposition. The TSP initially intended to refrain from electing a party leader until after the election to choose one of the successful parliamentary candidates. However, this prompted Prime Minister Malielegaoi to describe the TSP as a "headless monster" and he challenged the party to select a leader before the election. The party subsequently elected Vaʻai Papu Vailupe, son of former prime minister Vaai Kolone, as leader in December 2010.

Electoral system

During the time of the 2011 election, parliament was composed of 49 members, with all serving a five-year term. Forty-seven members represented forty-one village-based constituencies, of which six of the larger electorates had two MPs, while the rest were single-member constituencies. Two members, elected from a nationwide constituency, represented individual voters, mostly non-ethnic Samoans and individuals with partial Samoan ancestry. Except for the latter, to qualify, candidates were required to hold a matai title, while all were elected using the first-past-the-post voting system. Candidates were also required to have reached the age of 21 and have resided in Samoa for at least three years before the nomination date. In 2009, parliament amended the electoral act to include the monotoga law, a requirement for individuals to dedicate service to their respective villages to qualify as candidates. Under the monotoga law, a requirement for parliamentary hopefuls to qualify as candidates was for their village mayors to approve their nomination.

Voters

Universal suffrage was introduced in 1991, permitting all Samoan citizens over the age of 21 to vote in person. Voting registration usually closes six months before a general election and re-opens immediately after. Voters could elect to enrol in a constituency rather than the one where they reside by right of significant family ties or matai titles. As a result, the population of constituencies and the constituency's voter roll have not always correlated. Voters residing in Apia that were registered to vote in constituencies outside the capital but were unable to travel to their electoral districts on election day were permitted to cast a special vote at designated polling stations.

Eastern Samoans

Before the election, the electoral commissioner of American Samoa announced that American Samoans who cast ballots in elections held in the Independent State of Samoa would subsequently be ineligible to vote in their own country. Under United States electoral laws, voters can lose their right to vote if they cast a ballot in another country's election.

Schedule

Prime Minister Malielegaoi announced the election date on 5 October 2010. The 14th Parliament was dissolved on 27 January 2011, while candidates could register from 18 to 25 February. The campaign season ended on 3 March, and the mandatory removal of campaign material from public areas occurred. Election Day and the day prior were declared public holidays by the government to allow voters to travel to their electoral districts if need be. The return of the writ occurred on 21 March.

DateEvent 4 November 2010 Registration for voters closes 27 January 2011 The 14th Parliament is dissolved 18 February 2011 Nomination for candidates opens 25 February 2011 Candidate registration and withdrawal deadline 3 March 2011 Conclusion of campaigning, mandatory removal of campaign material from public areas 4 March 2011 Election Day 7 March 2011 Special votes are counted 8–14 March 2011 Official count 21 March 2011 Official results are announced and the writs are returned

Parties and candidates

A total of 159 candidates competed in the election, and two parties contested; the ruling HRPP, led by Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, and the TSP, led by Vaʻai Papu Vailupe. Of the HRPP candidates nominated, 79 contested, while there were 40 TSP and Independent candidates each. Seven contenders were women, down from 19 in the 2006 election. As four constituencies consisted solely of HRPP candidates, while two had members of the ruling party running unopposed, the HRPP was guaranteed six seats.

PartyLeaderCandidatesFounded2006 seatsHuman Rights Protection Party Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi 79 1979 Tautua Samoa Party Vaʻai Papu Vailupe 40 2008 Independents 40

Disqualified candidates

Several parliamentary hopefuls either withdrew or had their candidacy revoked. In December 2010, veteran politician Tuilagi Motutoa Vavae Leo II, a former deputy speaker and HRPP candidate, was convicted by the Supreme Court of attempted sexual assault, terminating his campaign.

A month before the election, the electoral commissioner disqualified three TSP candidates. The mayors in their respective villages had refused to sign their nomination forms due to their supposed failure to satisfy the monotoga law. One of the disqualified candidates, Tu‘ula Tuitui of the Saleapaga village, who was vying for the prime minister's seat, stated he had provided proof to the mayor that he had worked for the village in various ways, notably by taking part in recovery work after the 2009 earthquake and tsunami. Tuitui also claimed that chiefs and orators of Saleapaga had repeatedly requested he not run against the prime minister. The three TSP rejects unsuccessfully challenged their disqualifications in court. TSP founder Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi criticised the disqualifications and emphasised how no HRPP candidates were affected. However, he also highlighted that the TSP declined to have any candidates from the ruling party disqualified, expressing, "we believe that anybody can run, [and] exercise their right to compete in the election."

Public servants

Shortly before the poll, a cabinet directive ordered public servants running for Parliament to resign in contravention of Samoa's electoral act, which permits public servants to take special leave to contest elections. The TSP denounced the order as unconstitutional.

Campaign