Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, the first woman at the gates of power in Samoa, was “Invested” Monday, May 24 Prime Minister during an improvised ceremony in the gardens of the Parliament, after the outgoing had denied him access to the building, according to a journalist from Agence France-Presse on the spot.
This ” taking the oath “, which risks being challenged in court, comes at the end of six weeks of a political and legal standoff that followed the defeat at the polls of Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, head of government for twenty-two years, who refuses to recognize his electoral defeat.
Accompanied by judges tasked with attending her swearing-in to become the first woman to become premier of this South Pacific nation, she was denied entry into the Legislative Chamber. In front of her supporters gathered in front of Parliament to call for recognition of the results obtained in the general elections of April 9, she launched: “We need courageous Samoans right now… to uphold our election. “
After twenty-two years in power, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi refuses to cede power even though courts have confirmed that Mr.me Mata’afa won a majority of one seat in last month’s poll. She accused Mr. Malielegaoi of threatening democracy.
“This is an illegal takeover of the government, that’s what coups are”, she told the New Zealand newspaper on Sunday Newshub. “We must fight, because we want this nation to remain a country, we want to keep this country as democratic, based on the rule of law”.
Suspension without explanation
Parliament was due to meet on Monday for a ceremony chaired by Supreme Judge Satiu Simativa Perese. The secretary of the Legislative Assembly came out to apologize, saying that, by order of the head of state, Tuimalealiifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi, he could not allow Parliament to sit. On Saturday, Mr. Sualauvi suspended, without explanation, the extraordinary session which was to be held on Monday, a decision considered “Illegal” by the Supreme Court.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she hopes “Calm and coolness” would prevail. “We support the democracy of Samoa and we call on others to do the same”said Mme Ardern on TVNZ, calling “To maintain and respect the rule of law”. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne is on the same line.
The Samoa Islands became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The HRPP party has been in power since 1982, with the exception of a brief period of alternation in 1986-1987.