In the Samoa Islands, the elected candidate had to be invested in the gardens of the Parliament. The outgoing Prime Minister, contesting the results of the elections, preferred to double-shut the doors rather than admit defeat to a woman.
Funny whim in Polynesia, in the Samoa Islands. At the end of May 2021, after 22 years as Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi was beaten at the polls by a new party, headed by a woman: Fiame Naomi Mata’afa. On the day of her inauguration, the latter found herself facing a Parliament with closed doors. Since it was impossible to enter, a ceremony was improvised under a marquee installed in the garden. The incumbent, embittered, subsequently declared this nomination “illegal” and “contrary to any regulations.”
Fiame (this is how her fellow citizens call her to show their respect) was elected Prime Minister of the archipelago of 200,000 inhabitants after tumultuous elections. The result was played first in a single seat, forcing the losing party to seize the body in charge of the elections to demand a new one. It was ultimately the local Supreme Court that had to declare the election results valid.
“A model for all women”
Fiame’s opponent, who almost holds the record for prime minister for the longest term in the world (he comes second), did not welcome the arrival of this new political party, led by the girl. of the very first Prime Minister of the Samoa Islands. The election of Fiame Naomi Mata’afa was described as revolutionary by local media as the outgoing Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) had held the reins of power for nearly 40 years.
The new Prime Minister is “a model for all Samoan women“according to Sapeer Mayron, local journalist interviewed by the bbc. She is also a descendant of the royal family but remains above all known for her ease in inviting people to her home to listen to their proposals. At 64, she is only the second woman to lead a government in this region of the Pacific. And now ensures power, no offense to those who find it difficult to give up their place.