General elections were held in Western Samoa on 28 April 1948,Samoan Election: Vigorous New Party In The Field Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1948, p27 the first to the new Legislative Assembly. The United Citizens Party won four of the five directly elected seats.
Electoral system The new 26-member Legislative Assembly consisted of the Administrator, six civil servants, eleven Samoans appointed by the Fono of Faipule, three Fautua (Samoan chiefs) and five members directly elected by people with European status,Samoa's New Assembly Pacific Islands Monthly, May 1948, p7 which included people of mixed European and Samoan descent.
Campaign The European seats were contested between the United Citizens Party, which was formed at a meeting on 16 March and supported by prominent businessmen in Apia, and the Labour Party led by Amando Stowers. Both parties nominated a full slate of five candidates, with the United Citizens Party holding a primary election to select its candidates after nine members put themselves forwards.
The campaign included radio broadcasts, public meetings and leafleting.
Results European members
By candidate
Samoan members A series of meetings was held in January 1948 to select the 11 Samoan representatives. However, the meetings were inconclusive, and instead a list of 31 names was given to the three , Mataʻafa, Malietoa and Tamasese to choose from.Less Quarantine and More Politics Pacific Islands Monthly, February 1948, p13 The choices were announced in mid-April.W. Samoa's New Assembly Now Taking Shape: Samoan Members Chosen Pacific Islands Monthly, May 1948, p49
DistrictsMemberAʻanaThomas NauerAiga-i-le-TaiLeiataua SoloaAtuaFonoti IoaneFaʻasaleleagaVui ManuʻaGagaʻemaugaTuala TuloGagaʻifomaugaLavea LalaPalauliTualaulelei MauriSatupaʻiteaAsiata MueseTuamasagaFata TamatiVaʻa-o-FonotiMolioʻo SetuVaisiganoMasoe TuleleSource: MetiMeti, p28
Aftermath The new Legislative Assembly was opened on 2 June 1948 with a ceremony at Mulinuʻu involving the new national flag being formally raised for the first time.New Assembly In Samoa: Quarantine Imposes Last-Minute Absence of the NZ Prime Minister Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1948, p7
After the death of Fautua Mataʻafa Faumuina Fiame Mulinuʻu I in 1948, the Fono requested that they be allowed to elect a twelfth member to replace him. This was authorised by the Samoa Amendment Act 1949, and Gatoloai Peseta Sio was elected by the Fono to be the twelfth member on 1 April 1950.Lauofo Meti (2002) Samoa: The Making of the Constitution, National University of Samoa, p28
References