Policy of the Samoa

The Samoa form a Constitutional monarchy independent. The Constitution of 1960, which formally took effect with independence of the country in 1962, is founded on the Démocratie Parlement surface of the the United Kingdom, modified to take into account the habits of the Samoa.

Institutions

The O Ao O Malo

The report heading is consituée of an original institution called " O Ao O Malo". This one was composed into 1962 of two members appointed for lives, in fact of both Tama' aiga, Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Mea' ole. It was decided with independence that neither one nor the other would be replaced with their death by a new Head of State to life; thus, the future leaders would be elected by Fono (Parliament) for one five years duration. After the death of Tupua Tamasese Mea' ole, in 1963, Malietoa Tanumafili II was alone to occupy this station until its death, which has occurred on May 11th, 2007. June 16th of this same year, the Parliament elects Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi like O Ao O Malo, with a five years mandate.

Parliament

The parliamentary system is monocaméral made up of a Legislative Parliament called also ' large fono . She is composed of 49 members elected for a 5 years mandate. The constitution of 1960 had provided that on these 49 members of Parliament, 47 were indicated by consensus by subdued (household heads), members of the fono of the 11 districts of the country, the two others being elected by the vote for all by the " non-Samoans" (Europeans, mongrel, Chinese and some Salomonais) installed in the archipelago of long time. In 1990, a reform of the electoral law widens the electoral college with the whole of the adult population of more than 21 years, while preserving the system of double poll and the monopoly of the subdued as for the possibility of presenting itself to the elections. The archipelago counts today a little more than 25.000 subdued , including 5% women.

Government

The executive is with the hand of a government made up of the Prime Minister named by the " O Ao O Malo" on a proposal from the Parliament, and a which cannot number of ministers exceeded the number of eight.

Legal system

The legal system is founded on the British system ( Common law ). The Supreme court is more the high jurisdiction of the country. Its principal judge is named by the Head of the State on the recommendations of the Prime Minister.

Political life Samoan since independence

The drifts of the system subdued and the questioning of the way of voting

The constitution of 1960 had recognized the right to all subdued to create another title of subdued either in favor of the one of his/her parents, or by adoption on the condition of giving to the recipient a ground, the title being founded above all on the land one. Very quickly, these ex-nihilo creations multiplied in particular during the year previous the elections at the Parliament. Indeed, only the subdued being able to vote, any candidate with the legislature had any interest to create a maximum of titles to increase its electorate. Between 1962 and 1978, it was in all more than 2000 titles of subdued which were thus created, organizing de facto a system based on the clientelism and the political bargaining.

Little by little a growing number of Samoans started to call into question the way of voting more and more openly. Among those:

the Samoans emigrated in New Zealand which wished to have a say the more so as they represented an important financial manna for the economy of the country by the transfer of part of their wages.
part of the binationaux one. Indeed, it had been decided in agreement with New Zealand that any Samoan born before 1949 could also profit from the New Zealand citizenship. However as a New Zealand citizen, they could vote with the New Zealand elections but saw themselves of it prohibited in their own country if they did not have the statute of subdued .
a growing number of women. In 1963 the " was created; National Council off Women" (NCW), a kind of fono for women. This CNW which at the beginning was confined with the field of social, was implied more and more in questions of a political nature.

Some rare subdued became aware that evolutions were necessary. In 1969, Letele Tanaolevalo proposed one reforms electoral by opening the right to vote with any old male adult of more than 21 years, without to call into question the monopoly of subdued as for the right to present nor the system of double electoral college. The propostion was rejected by 45 votes " contre" and 4 " pour". The political power was then concentrated with the hands of the great dynasties Samoans, cleavages being related to their competition than with an ideological debate. Thus Fiame Fauminua Mata' afa Munilnu' U II succeeded in 1970 the post of Prime Minister Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV, which returned the station to his predecessor in 1973 to take it again of 1975 to 1976, date on which, it left his place to his nephew Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi. This play of the musical chairs was however to end in 1979 with creation by one subdued name of Va' have Kolone, of the first Samoan political party the " Human Right Party" Protection;. In reaction, the Prime Minister posts at that time of it Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi decided in his turn to create his political own party, the " Christian Democratic Party".

Political instability and the electoral reform of 1990

For a long time, subdued them did not feel the need for organizing itself in political parties. The things changed in 1979 dates to which two of them Va' have Kolone and Tofilau Eti Alesana decided to create the first Samoan political party, the " Human Rights Party" Protection; (Party for the Protection of the Human rights) or HRPP. In reaction, the Prime Minister posts at that time of it Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi decided in his turn to create his political own party, the " Christian Democratic Party" (CDP). One then attended a beginning of bipolarisation of the political life

The elections of January 1982 transfer the victory of the HRPP and Va' have Kolone to become Prime Minister. Shown of electoral fraud, it had to resign at the end of six months losing its seat of Member of Parliament at the same time. Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi benefitted from it to turn over to its cause some members of the HRPP before being made name in its turn Prime Minister. Nevertheless him either did not remain a long time posts some since in December 1982, it was reversed following dissensions on the vote of the budget 1983. That allowed Tofilau Eti Alesana, cofounder of the HRPP, to be elected Prime Minister. He remained at this station until the end of the legislature in January 1985, date on which the HRPP lost the elections. This defeat was largely due to the estrangement which opposed it to its Va' accomplice have Kolone which little before the elections had decided to join the CDP. This last was made remainder elect Prime Minister and named like vice Prime Minister the founder of the CDP, Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi.

The general elections of 1988 transfer after the victory of the HRPP, the return to the business of Tofilau Eti Alesana. Benefitting from a comfortable majority, it decided to propose by referendum a reform of the electoral law by generalizing the vote for all. One of its arguments rested in particular on the instability of the system in force which was often agitated by personal quarrels. There was of course also behind this reform an amount of electoral calculation, Tofilau Eti hoping well that the opening of the electoral rolls to not subdued would favor its party considered more progressist. The opposition, as for it, estimated that such a change was likely to deteriorate the fa' has Samoa, the traditional lifestyle.

The referendum was organized at the end of 1990, the " oui" carrying with a vast majority. From now on, any adult of more than 21 years and some is his sex could vote with the elections, the subdued keeping nevertheless their monopoly as for the right to present itself.

The reign without division of the HRPP

Benefitting from a new electoral victory in 1991, Tofilau Eti Alesana decided to amend the constitution by lengthening the legislature at 5 years. After the elections of 1996, gained again HRPP, this one speaks was once again amended for this time to change the name of the country into “Samoa”. This change was badly lived in the territory close to American Samoa because perceived like a reduction of their own identity. Suffering from health issues, Tofilau Eti left its place in November 1998 with the number two of the party Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, although preserving until its death on March 19th, 1999, a post of minister without wallet.

This reign without division of the HRPP did not prevent corruption and the system clientelist of perdurer. Thus in 1999, for the 20th birthday of the creation of the HRPP, Luagalau Levaula Kamu, public Minister for Labor of the Malielegaoi government, was assassinated in full commemorative ceremony. Its assassin, Eletise Leafa Vital, were not other than the son of Leafa Vitale, itself former minister for public works and predecessor at this station of Luagalau Levaula Kamu. He had been thanked for his wallet of Minister a few months earlier following a scandal of misuse of public money than its victim had precisely denounced. The investigation confirmed that Leafa Vitale was well the silent partner of the murder. It also proved that You Akuso, member of the HRPP and former minister for the stations, were also implied in the plot (see external bond).

Elections of 2001

The last legislative elections took place in March 2001; the HRPP, led by Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, gained 31 of the 49 seats. The Samoan Party of the National Development ( Samoa National Development Party , SNDP ) 11 seats. The 7 other seats come from other political parties ( Samoan Progressive Conservative Party , Samoa All Peoples Party , Samoa Liberal Party ).

Elections of 2006

Lists of the Prime Ministers since 1962

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