2021 Samoan constitutional crisis

2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
Date22 May 2021 (2021-05-22) — 23 July 2021 (2021-07-23)
(2 months and 1 day)
Cause
Participants
• Members of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa

• O le Ao o le Malo Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II
• Supreme Court of Samoa

Outcome
Politics of Samoa
Constitution
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi of HRPP
Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa of FAST

A constitutional crisis began in Samoa on 22 May 2021 when O le Ao o le Malo (Head of State) Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II issued a proclamation purporting to prevent the Legislative Assembly from meeting in the wake of the general election in April 2021.[2][3][4][5] Court rulings had upheld the election results, giving a parliamentary majority to the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party, led by Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa. On 24 May 2021, a makeshift ceremony was held outside of Parliament to swear in Mata'afa as prime minister. On 23 July the Court of Appeal declared that the ceremony was binding and that FAST had been the government since that date.[6][7]

  1. ^ Russel Palmer (27 May 2021). "Samoa election crisis: What you need to know". RNZ. Archived from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  2. ^ Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (22 May 2021). "Head of State suspends Parliament". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021. Samoa has been thrown into a constitutional crisis
  3. ^ Sina Retzlaff (22 May 2021). "Head of State Issues Writ to Suspend Official Opening of XVIIth Parliament". Samoa Global News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Samoa dives into further uncertainty as Head of State suspends Monday's opening of Parliament". Talamua. 22 May 2021. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  5. ^ Jamie Tahana (22 May 2021). "Sitting of Samoa parliament cancelled; constitutional turmoil deepens". RNZ. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021. with the country now well engulfed in a constitutional crisis
  6. ^ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (23 July 2021). "Court declares F.A.S.T. Government; impasse over". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  7. ^ Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson and Kate Lyons (23 July 2021). "Samoa's political crisis ends and first female prime minister installed after court ruling". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2021.