O le Ao o le Malo

See also: Fa'amatai
O le Ao o le Malo of the
Independent State of
Samoa

Coat of arms of
the Independent State
of Samoa
Incumbent
Tufuga Efi
since 20 June 2007
Term length Five years, no term limit
Inaugural holder Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole
Formation 1 January 1962
Samoa
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Samoa

O le Ao o le Malo (Samoan: "Chieftain of the Government"; Ao is a title generally reserved for chiefs (matai), while malo means "government") is the Samoan head of state.[1][2]

The position is described in Part III of the 1960 Samoan constitution.[3] At the time the constitution was adopted, it was anticipated that future heads of state would be chosen from among the four Tama-a-Aiga "royal" paramount chiefs. However, this is not required by the constitution, so, for this reason, Samoa can be considered a republic rather than a constitutional monarchy (such as the United Kingdom). The government Press Secretariat describes O le Ao o le Malo as a "ceremonial president".

The current O le Ao o le Malo is Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi, who was elected to a five-year term on 16 June 2007.[4] He was re-elected for further five-year term in July 2012.

History

When Samoa became independent on January 1, 1962, the two highest[5] of the four paramount chiefs (Tama a Aiga) – Malietoa Tanumafili and Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole – were jointly named to the office for life by the 1960 Constitution. Each represented, respectively, the Malietoa and Tupua, the "two main family lineages" of Samoa.[6] They were jointly known as O Ao o le Malo and individually as O le Ao o le Malo.[3] Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole died a year later in 1963, leaving Malietoa Tanumafili as the sole holder of the office until his death in 2007, aged 94.[7][8] His replacement, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi, had served two prior terms as Prime Minister of Samoa and is the elder son of Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole. He was elected by the Samoan Legislative Assembly (the Fono) as the third O le Ao o le Malo for a five-year term beginning on 20 June 2007[4] and again in July 2012 for a further five-year term.

Qualifications

Article 18 of the Samoan constitution sets the qualifications for the position of O le Ao o le Malo. He must:

Term of office

The O le Ao o le Malo is elected by the Fono for five years and can be re-elected. The exceptions to this were Malietoa Tanumafili and Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole, who were exempted from the five-year term laid down by Article 19.[3] The constitution does not set forth a limit on the number of terms an O le Ao o le Malo can serve. There is an understanding that the office is to alternate between the Malietoa and Tupua families.[6]

Removal from office can occur in four ways:

Duties and powers

The position is that of a ceremonial president, while actual power is held by the Prime Minister, whom the O le Ao o le Malo appoints on the recommendation of the Fono. While the O le Ao o le Malo "does not play an active role in government", he can dissolve the Fono and no act of parliament will become law without his approval.[9] The O le Ao o le Malo may also grant pardons.[10]

Elections

To date, there have been two elections for the office of O le Ao o le Malo. The first was held on 16 June 2007, in which Tufuga Efi was elected unopposed by the 49-member strong parliament. The second was held on 19 July 2012, in which Tufuga Efi was nominated by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi and seconded by Palusalue Fa’apo II, the leader of the opposition. Tufuga Efi was again elected unopposed.[11]

List of officeholders

№ Name
(Birth–Death)		 Tenure Notes
Took Office Left Office
1 Malietoa Tanumafili II
(1913–2007)		 1 January 1962 11 May 2007 Elected for Life. Served jointly with Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole to 5 April 1963. Died in office.
Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole
(1905–1963)		 5 April 1963 Elected for Life. Served jointly with Malietoa Tanumafili II. Died in office.
— Tufuga Efi
(1938–)		 11 May 2007 20 June 2007 Acting (members of the Council of Deputies).
Va'aletoa Sualauvi II
(1947–)
2 Tufuga Efi
(1938–)		 20 June 2007 Incumbent Son of Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole. Elected in 2007, re-elected in 2012.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Samoalive dictionary
  2. ↑ Websters Online Dictionary
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Constitution of the Independent State of Western Samoa 1960". University of the South Pacific. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  4. 1 2 New Zealand Herald (16 June 2007). "New head of state for Samoa". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
  5. ↑ Hassall, Graham & Saunders, Cheryl (2002). Asia-Pacific Constitutional Systems. Cambridge University Press. p. 41. ISBN 0-521-59129-5.
  6. 1 2 New Zealand Herald (28 June 2007). "Name says it all for Samoa's new leader". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  7. ↑ "Samoan king dies at the age of 94". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 May 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  8. ↑ Jackson, Cherelle (13 May 2007). "Samoa's Head of State Malietoa dies aged 95". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  9. ↑ Kogan Page; World of information (2003). Asia and Pacific Review 2003/04, 21st edition. Essex, England: Walden Publishing Ltd. p. 41. ISBN 0-7494-4063-5.
  10. ↑ eDiplomat.com. "Samoa". Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  11. ↑ Samoa’s parliament reappoints Tui Atua as head of state Radio New Zealand International, 19 July 2012.
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