On The Wind…

Samoa’s dangerous election, sea disaster near miss & Trump’s Tonga deal

Sāmoa: First courts, then ballot box

A strange fact: among Sāmoa’s 218,000 people the median age is just 20.6 (against Aotearoa’s 37.7) and in two months it's more than likely Sāmoa will elect an 81-year-old man prime minister.

Tuila’epa Sailele - prime minister from 1998 to 2021 - is a strong bet to return to office as the opposition Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) run a vigorous campaign ahead of the August 29 elections. Incumbent Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’āfa, 68, is plainly struggling in the wake of a parliamentary defeat and the split of the once ruling Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party.

Fiamē Naomi. Photo Samoa Govt

At this point it's not set in stone: much depends on the fate of 60-year-old La’auli Leuatea Polata’ivao (more on the vanity of his names shortly), now leader of FAST. Since May 26 he has been a defendant in court facing 10 criminal offences related to a prolonged 2021 hit‑and‑run investigation. These include three counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, one count of conspiracy to fabricate evidence, harassment via electronic communication, three counts of false statements and two counts of using insulting words. The evidential part of the trial just finished, with Judge Talasa Saaga Atoa setting an October 6 session for counsels' final submissions. While La’auli is assumed innocent until proven otherwise, the trial has underscored deep police corruption and incompetence, and a profound failure in public service and duty. That the people involved proclaim Christian values is surprising.

Also On The Wind below:

Tonga: Once it was ships. Now it might be criminals.

Shipping: The South Pacific’s Maritime Shame Floats On"

La’auli Leuatea Polata’ivao. Photo FAST party

Based on previous elections, Sāmoa is unlikely to have a new government by the time La’auli is back in the dock to hear his fate. He could be the newly elected prime minister, but out in months. Still it's happened before, the first HRPP prime minister, Va’ai Kolone (1911-2001), was ejected from office by the Electoral Court after six months.