Prime Minister of Samoa

The prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa (Samoan: Palemia o le Malo Tuto’atasi o Sāmoa) is the head of government of Samoa. The prime minister is a member of the Legislative Assembly, and is appointed by the O le Ao o le Malo (Head of State) for a five-year term. Since independence in 1962, a total of eight individuals have served as prime minister. The incumbent prime minister is Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt, who assumed office on 16 September 2025.^[2] Schmidt also leads the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party.^[3]

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 World War I, German Samoa was occupied by New Zealand in 1914, and was subsequently organized as a trust territory of New Zealand in 1920.

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 Mataʻafa 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 2021 general election and the subsequent constitutional crisis. The claimants were long-serving prime minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi of the HRPP, and Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party, a former deputy prime minister and daughter of Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II. On 23 July, the Supreme Court ruled that Fiamē Naomi's FAST government was legitimate since 24 May. Tuilaʻepa conceded defeat on 26 July and ceded power the following day, resulting in Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa becoming Samoa's first female prime minister and ending nearly 40 years of HRPP rule.^[8][9][10]

Powers and appointment

The Constitution, adopted in 1960 during the transitional period of autonomy, provides that the executive power is vested in the head of state (O le Ao o le Malo), elected by the Legislative Assembly, and who acts only on the recommendation of the government. The head of state has royal assent powers to sign bills into law and dissolve Parliament. Executive power is exercised by the prime minister and their cabinet. The prime minister is appointed by the head of state as a member of the Legislative Assembly who enjoys the confidence of a majority in the Legislative Assembly (Article 32 (2) (a)). The prime minister may be removed from office by the Legislative Assembly (Article 33 (1) (b)). Samoa is thus a parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster system.^[11]

List of officeholders

Political parties

Other factions

Status

Symbols

Died in office

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Samoa (1875–1876)

Prime Ministers of the Independent State of Samoa (1959–present)

See also

• 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

Notes

1. ^ Disputed: 24 May 2021 — 23 July 2021.

References

1. ^ Hill, Bruce (28 September 2016). "Samoan leaders salaries published by newspaper". ABC Radio Australia
2. ^ Sulamanaia Manaui Faulalo (16 September 2025). "Laaulialemalietoa sworn in as new Prime Minister". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
3. ^ Renate Rivers (15 September 2025). "Sāmoa’s 18th Parliament and new Prime Minister to be sworn in". Pacific Media Network. Archived 15 September 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
4. ^ Malama Meleisea, Lagaga: A Short History of Western Samoa, Apia, University of the South Pacific, 1987, ISBN 982-02-0029-6, pp.83-85
5. ^ Mata'afa, friend to all, who led Samoa 'long and loyally' Pacific Islands Monthly, July 1975, p7
6. ^ Hassall, Graham & Saunders, Cheryl (2002). Asia-Pacific Constitutional Systems. Cambridge University Press. p. 41. ISBN 0-521-59129-5.
7. ^ So'o, Asofou (2008). Democracy and custom in Sāmoa: an uneasy alliance. University of the South Pacific. p. 171. ISBN 978-982-02-0390-7. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
8. ^ 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 30 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
9. ^ "Tuilaepa admits defeat after Head of State's declaration". RNZ. 26 July 2021. Archived 8 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
10. ^ "Samoa's new cabinet meets to set budget". RNZ. 27 July 2021. Archived 27 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
11. ^ Constitution of Samoa

External links

• Palemene O Samoa – History of the Parliament
• World Statesmen – Samoa