Prime Minister of Samoa
Prime Minister of the Independent State of Samoa | |
---|---|
Palemia o le Malo Tuto‘atasi o Sāmoa | |
Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | |
Style | Madam Prime Minister (informal) The Honourable (formal) Her Excellency (diplomatic) |
Type | Head of government |
Abbreviation | PM |
Member of | |
Seat | Apia |
Nominator | Political parties |
Appointer | O le Ao o le Malo |
Term length | Five years, renewable |
Constituting instrument | Constitution of Samoa |
Precursor | Leader of Government Business |
Inaugural holder | Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II |
Formation | 1 October 1959 |
Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa |
Salary | US$78,000 annually[1] |
Website | www.samoagovt.ws |
Constitution |
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The prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa (
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.[4]
At the beginning of the
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.[5]
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 Mata’afa continued.[5] The head of state, or O le Ao o le Malo (initially held by two individuals), was established as a ceremonial office.[6] 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.[7]
From 24 May to 23 July 2021, the premiership was in dispute due to an inconclusive result from the
Powers and appointment
The
List of officeholders
- Political parties
- Status
- Symbols
† Died in office
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Samoa (1875–1876)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Election | Term of office | Political party | Monarch | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
1 | Albert Barnes Steinberger (1840–1894) |
— | 22 May 1875 | 8 February 1876 | 262 days | 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) |
Election (Parliament) | Term of office | Political party | O le Ao o le Malo (Head(s) of state) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
1 | Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II (1921–1975) |
1961 (1st) 1964 (2nd) 1967 (3rd) |
1 October 1959 | 25 February 1970 | 10 years, 147 days | Independent | Meaʻole Tanumafili II | |
2 | Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV (1922–1983) |
1970 (4th) | 25 February 1970 | 20 March 1973 | 3 years, 23 days | Independent | Tanumafili II | |
(1) | Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II (1921–1975) |
1973 (5th) | 20 March 1973 | 20 May 1975[†] | 2 years, 61 days | Independent | ||
— | Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV (1922–1983) Acting prime minister |
— (5th) | 21 May 1975 | 24 March 1976 | 308 days | Independent | ||
3 | Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi (born 1938) |
1976 (6th) 1979 (7th) |
24 March 1976 | 13 April 1982 | 6 years, 20 days | Independent | ||
4 | Vaʻai Kolone (1911–2001) |
1982 (8th )
|
13 April 1982 | 18 September 1982 | 158 days | HRPP | ||
(3) | Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi (born 1938) |
— (8th) | 18 September 1982 | 31 December 1982 | 104 days | Independent | ||
5 | Tofilau Eti Alesana (1924–1999) |
— ( 1985 (9th )
|
31 December 1982 | 30 December 1985 | 2 years, 364 days | HRPP | ||
(4) | Vaʻai Kolone (1911–2001) |
— ( 1988 (10th )
|
30 December 1985 | 8 April 1988 | 2 years, 100 days | HRPP | ||
(5) | Tofilau Eti Alesana (1924–1999) |
— ( 1996 (12th )
|
8 April 1988 | 23 November 1998 | 10 years, 229 days | HRPP | ||
6 | Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi (born 1945) |
— ( 16th )
|
23 November 1998 | 24 May 2021 | 22 years, 182 days | HRPP | Tanumafili II Tamasese Efi Vaʻaletoa Sualauvi II | |
7 | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa (born 1957) |
17th )
|
24 May 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 17 days | FAST | Vaʻaletoa Sualauvi II |
Timeline
See also
Notes
References
- ^ Hill, Bruce (28 September 2016). "Samoan leaders salaries published by newspaper". ABC Radio Australia.
- ^ "Court declares F.A.S.T. Government; impasse over". Samoa Observer. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ "Tuilaepa concedes, welcomes F.A.S.T. government". Samoa Observer. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ISBN 982-02-0029-6, pp.83-85
- ^ a b Mata'afa, friend to all, who led Samoa 'long and loyally' Pacific Islands Monthly, July 1975, p7
- ISBN 0-521-59129-5.
- ISBN 978-982-02-0390-7. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson; Kate Lyons (23 July 2021). "Samoa's political crisis ends and first female prime minister installed after court ruling". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ "Tuilaepa admits defeat after Head of State's declaration". RNZ. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ "Samoa's new cabinet meets to set budget". RNZ. 27 July 2021. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ Constitution of Samoa