O le Ao o le Malo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids O le Ao o le Malo of the Independent State of Samoa
Flag of Samoa
Coat of arms of Samoa
Incumbent Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II since 21 July 2017
Style	His Highness
Residence	Vailele
Seat	Apia
Appointer	Legislative Assembly
Term length	Five years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Samoa
Inaugural holder	Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole Malietoa Tanumafili II
Formation	1 January 1962; 63 years ago (1962-01-01)
Deputy	Members of the Council of Deputies
Salary	US$82,000 annually
Website	www.samoagovt.ws

The O le Ao o le Malo is the official title for Samoa's head of state. In the Samoan language, it means "chief of the state." This important role is explained in the 1960 Samoan constitution.

When the constitution was first written, people expected that future heads of state would be chosen from Samoa's four main traditional chief families, called tamaʻāiga. However, this is not a strict rule in the constitution. This means Samoa is a parliamentary republic, which is a country led by elected representatives, rather than a constitutional monarchy, which is led by a king or queen. The government calls the O le Ao o le Malo a "ceremonial president." Like a monarch, the person holding this job is given the special title of Highness.

Members of the Council of Deputies help the head of state. They can step in if the head of state is away, sick, or if the position is empty.

The current O le Ao o le Malo is Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II. He was first elected for a five-year term on July 21, 2017. He was re-elected for a second five-year term on August 24, 2022.

History of the Office

Samoa's 1960 constitution said that the head of state would be elected by the Legislative Assembly for five-year terms. But there was a special rule for the first two leaders: Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole and Malietoa Tanumafili II. They were appointed for life when Samoa became independent in 1962. They came from two of the most important traditional chief families.

These two leaders were known together as O Ao o le Malo. If one of them passed away, the other would continue alone. When Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole died in 1963, Malietoa Tanumafili II became the sole head of state. He held the position until he passed away in 2007 at the age of 94.

The first head of state to be elected by the Legislative Assembly was Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi. He had previously served as Prime Minister. He took office on June 20, 2007.

The current head of state, Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II, is from another important chief family. He has held the special title of Tuimalealiʻifano since 1977.

In 2019, the Samoan government changed the constitution. This change set a limit of two terms for the head of state. In 2021, the government discussed making the job a lifetime appointment again, but this was just a suggestion.

Who Can Be Head of State?

Article 18 of Samoa's constitution explains who can become the head of state. A person must:

• Be able to be elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly.
• Have any other skills or qualities the Legislative Assembly decides are important.
• Not have been removed from the office before for bad behavior or illness.

How Long Does the Head of State Serve?

The head of state is chosen by the Legislative Assembly for five years. They can be re-elected only once. The first two leaders, Tanumafili and Meaʻole, were exceptions to this rule, as they served for life.

A 2019 change to the constitution confirmed that the head of state can serve no more than two terms. It is generally understood that this important job should rotate among Samoa's four main traditional chief families.

A head of state's term can end in a few ways:

• They can choose to resign (step down).
• The Legislative Assembly can remove them for bad behavior or if they are too sick to do their job.
• Two-thirds of the Legislative Assembly can vote to remove them. This vote needs to be suggested by at least a quarter of its members.
• They can pass away.

What Does the Head of State Do?

The O le Ao o le Malo is mostly a figurehead position. This means they have an important role in ceremonies, but the real power is held by the Prime Minister. The head of state officially appoints the Prime Minister based on the Legislative Assembly's choice.

Even though the head of state does not actively run the government, they have some key duties:

• They can dissolve (close) the Legislative Assembly.
• No new law can become official without their approval. This is similar to how a king or queen approves laws in some countries.
• They can also grant pardons, which means forgiving people for crimes.

Elections for Head of State

There have been four elections for the head of state position so far:

• The first election was on June 16, 2007. Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi was elected without anyone running against him.
• The second election was on July 19, 2012. Efi was nominated again and re-elected.
• The third election was on June 30, 2017. Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II was elected without anyone running against him.
• The fourth election was on August 23, 2022. Sualauvi II was re-elected without anyone running against him.

List of Officeholders

Status

     Denotes acting O le Ao o le Malo

Symbols

Constitutional referendum

As member of the Council of Deputies

Died in office

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Prime minister(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole (1905–1963)	1961	1 January 1962	5 April 1963	1 year, 94 days	Independent	Mulinuʻu II
1		Malietoa Tanumafili II (1913–2007)		1 January 1962	11 May 2007	45 years, 130 days	Independent	Mulinuʻu II Lealofi IV Tupua Kolone Alesana Tuilaʻepa
—		Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi (born 1938) Acting O le Ao o le Malo	—	11 May 2007	20 June 2007	40 days	Independent	Tuilaʻepa
—		Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II (born 1947) Acting O le Ao o le Malo		11 May 2007	20 June 2007		Independent
2		Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi (born 1938)	2007 2012	20 June 2007	21 July 2017	10 years, 31 days	Independent	Tuilaʻepa
3		Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II (born 1947)	2017 2022	21 July 2017	Incumbent	6 years, 20 days	Independent	Tuilaʻepa Mataʻafa

Timeline

See also

In Spanish: O le Ao o le Malo para niños

• King of Malaysia – a similar idea in Malaysia
• Politics of Samoa
• List of colonial governors of Samoa
• Prime Minister of Samoa
• Lists of office-holders