Prime Minister of Samoa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of theIndependent State of Samoa |
|
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | |
| Style | Madam Prime Minister (informal) The Honourable (formal) Her Excellency (diplomatic) |
| 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 |
| Website | www.samoagovt.ws |
The Prime Minister of Samoa is the main leader of the government in Samoa. In Samoan, this role is called Palemia o le Malo Tuto’atasi o Sāmoa. The Prime Minister is a member of Samoa's parliament, known as the Legislative Assembly.
The O le Ao o le Malo (who is the Head of State) chooses the Prime Minister. They serve for a five-year term. Since Samoa became independent in 1962, seven different people have held this important job.
In 2021, there was a disagreement about who should be Prime Minister after the election. The previous Prime Minister, Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, did not want to accept the election results. However, on July 23, 2021, the Samoan Court of Appeal decided that the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party had been the rightful government since May 24. After this, Tuilaʻepa accepted the decision. This led to Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, the leader of the FAST party, becoming the new Prime Minister.
Contents
How the Prime Minister's Job Began
Early Leaders in Samoa
The very first person to hold a similar leadership role in Samoa during the colonial times was Albert Barnes Steinberger. He first worked for the American government in the Samoan Islands. But he also had strong connections with German businesses.
After Samoa's local leaders created their own Constitution in 1873, King Malietoa Laupepa chose Steinberger as Prime Minister in July 1875. He was in this position for seven months. Then, British and American officials in Samoa convinced King Laupepa to remove him. They saw Steinberger's role as Germany trying to get involved in the islands.
For the next two decades, Samoa did not have a Prime Minister. In 1899, after a conflict called the Second Samoan Civil War, Western countries took control. Samoa was divided into a German colony and an American colony.
When World War I started, New Zealand took control of German Samoa in 1914. Later, in 1920, it became a territory managed by New Zealand.
Samoa's Leaders After Independence
The job of Prime Minister officially began in 1959. Before that, the main government leader was called the "leader of government business." Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II, a high chief, became Samoa’s first Prime Minister on October 1, 1959.
Samoa, then known as Western Samoa, became an independent country on January 1, 1962. The Prime Minister's job continued, and Fiamē Mata’afa remained in office. The role of the Head of State, or O le Ao o le Malo, was created as a ceremonial position.
In 1991, the parliament changed the law to make the Prime Minister's term longer. It went from three years to five years. This meant a Prime Minister could serve for more time without needing to be re-elected.
From May 24 to July 23, 2021, there was a big debate over who was the real Prime Minister. This happened because the 2021 election results were not clear, leading to a constitutional crisis. The two people claiming the job were Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, who had been Prime Minister for a long time, and [[Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa]]. Fiamē Naomi was a former Deputy Prime Minister and the daughter of the first Prime Minister, Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II.
On July 23, the Supreme Court decided that Fiamē Naomi's FAST government was the rightful one since May 24. Tuila'epa accepted the decision on July 26. The next day, Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa became Samoa’s first female Prime Minister. This also ended almost 35 years of rule by the HRPP party.
How the Prime Minister is Chosen
Samoa's Constitution, written in 1960, explains how the government works. It says that the main power is with the head of state (O le Ao o le Malo). However, the Head of State acts only on the advice of the government. The Head of State has the power to sign new laws and to end Parliament sessions.
The Prime Minister and their team of ministers, called the cabinet, are the ones who actually run the government. The Head of State chooses the Prime Minister from the members of the Legislative Assembly. The person chosen must have the support of most members in the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly can also remove the Prime Minister from office.
Because of this system, Samoa is a parliamentary democracy. This means the government is chosen by the people through their elected representatives in parliament.
List of Prime Ministers
- Political parties
Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST)
- Status
Denotes acting prime minister
- 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 | .jpg) |
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 |
| Tanumafili II | ||||||||
| 2 |  |
Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV (1922–1983) |
1970 (4th) | 25 February 1970 | 20 March 1973 | 3 years, 23 days | Independent | |
| (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 | .jpg) |
Tupuola 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) | |
Tupuola Efi (born 1938) |
— (8th) | 18 September 1982 | 31 December 1982 | 104 days | Independent | |
| 5 | .jpg) |
Tofilau Eti Alesana (1924–1999) |
— (8th) 1985 (9th) |
31 December 1982 | 30 December 1985 | 2 years, 364 days | HRPP | |
| (4) | |
Vaʻai Kolone (1911–2001) |
— (9th) 1988 (10th) |
30 December 1985 | 8 April 1988 | 2 years, 100 days | HRPP | |
| (5) | |
Tofilau Eti Alesana (1924–1999) |
— (10th) 1991 (11th) 1996 (12th) |
8 April 1988 | 23 November 1998 | 10 years, 229 days | HRPP | |
| 6 |  |
Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi (born 1945) |
— (12th) 2001 (13th) 2006 (14th) 2011 (15th) 2016 (16th) |
23 November 1998 | 24 May 2021 | 22 years, 182 days | HRPP | |
| Tupua Tamasese Efi | ||||||||
| Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II | ||||||||
| 7 |  |
Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa (born 1957) |
2021 (17th) | 24 May 2021 | Incumbent | 4 years, 31 days | FAST | |
Timeline of Prime Ministers
See also
In Spanish: Primer ministro de Samoa para niños
- Samoa
- Politics of Samoa
- List of colonial governors of Samoa
- O le Ao o le Malo
- Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa
- Lists of office-holders
