Fiame Naomi
Mata'afa has become Samoa's first woman Prime Minister and the only female
leader of any Pacific island country. Her victory is seen as a milestone in the
country.
At 18 percent, the Pacific
region has the world's lowest female representation in parliament. According to
the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women make up only 6.4 percent of MPs in the
Pacific islands, far less than in the Middle East (17.2%) or West Africa
(15.8%).
The 64-year-old won
the election after the Pacific nation’s top court helped break month-long
political impasses that followed a tightly contested election in April.
Her oath-taking ceremony
was far more normal. She had to take the oath with her Faith in the One
True God (Fast) party inside a
makeshift tent after the island nation's long-ruling government refused to cede
power and locked the door of parliament.
After the results, the
current Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Mailelegaoi of the Human Rights
Protection Party (HRPP) has refused to accept the results and resign from the
post he has held for 22 years.
Samoa's political
trajectory has long been predictable. Tuilaepa has been the leader of the
country for more than 2 decades and already become one of the world's most
long-serving leaders.
After the oath-taking
ceremony in the tent, Tuilaepa scheduled a press conference to say that the
actions would be taken against the members of FAST and he called the event
treason and illegal.
He said “Only the
head of the state, and on one else, can call parliament meetings and swear
people in. None of what they did is legitimate”
When Fiame and her
followers arrived at Parliament to create their new government, the doors were
shut after the existing head of state, Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aleto'a Sualauvi II,
allegedly canceled the session without explanation.
Fiame Naomi Mata'afa's Faith in the One True God (FAST) Party described
the extraordinary change of events as a "bloodless coup”
following the sudden turn of events after
the election.
Jacinda Ardern, the
Prime Minister of New Zealand, described the event as historic. “It is
certainly a meaningful thing when you see a historic decision made when the
office is held by a woman”. Despite the uncertain political climate, the people
of Samoa appeared to be very peaceful she added.
The Federated
States of Micronesia was the first country to acknowledge her as Samoa's lawful
Prime Minister.
Life
of Fiame Naomi Mata'afa
Fiame, was born in
1957.Her
father, Fiame Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II, was the first Prime Minister of
Samoa. Her mother was an educator and politician. After her mother’s
retirement from politics, she contested the seat and elected and since then she
has been re-elected in every election.
Since 1991, she has
served in the Cabinet as Minister of Education (1991–2006), Minister of Women,
Community and Social Development (2006–2011), Minister of Justice and Courts
Administration (2011–2016), and Minister of Film Censorship and Electoral
Commission (2011–2016) ,becoming one of the longest-serving Member of
Parliament.
She is also the
President of the Samoa National Council of Women and the Women in Leadership
Advocates, as well as an advocate of women's equality.
Twist
and Turns in Samoa Election
According to
Samoa's electoral authority, FAST and HRPP each won 25 members in Parliament
last month, with the last seat going to an independent MP.
FAST gained 26
seats as a result of that independent candidate's decision to support the
party. However, to meet a gender quota, the Samoan electoral commission created
a new seat, granting HRPP 26 seats as well.
Women must hold at
least 10% of parliamentary seats in Samoa, according to the country's
constitution. If the barrier is not fulfilled, the highest-performing female
applicants are appointed. Women won five seats in the April 9 election; however,
they only made up 9.8% of the total.
On the evening of 4
may 2021, the head of the state Tuimalealiifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II decided
to break the tie between FAST and HRPP by conducting a fresh election in the
country on 21 May.
But the
commission's decision to add a new seat was rejected by the Supreme Court
earlier this month, clearing the way for Naomi Mata'afa’s FAST party to form
the next government. FAST Party wins a majority in Parliament (26-25) and
becomes Samoa's ruling party.
Following the Court’s
announcement, FAST supporters seem outside the court celebrating win by singing
and dancing. FAST on their social media wrote, “Glory to our Father!”
Mata’afa said, “A
day to give thanks to God to all of you for having the heart for this counter”.
She added that this victory isn't about you or me; it's about the future of
Samoa and the protection of our forefather’s legacy.
Her narrow election
victory put an end to the Human Rights Protection Party's (HRPP) nearly after 40
years of control, largely uninterrupted from 1982.
Written by - Kriti
Verma
Edited by – Adrija Saha
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