Country Profile:
Upcoming Elections
- Parliamentary
March 2011
|
|
Description of government structure:
- Chief of State: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA *
- Head of Government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILAEPA
- Assembly: Samoa has a unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) with 49 seats.
* The monarch is hereditary. Upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term.
Description of electoral system:
- The Chief is N/A by parliament.
- In the Legislative Assembly (Fono), 47 members are elected from village-based electorates to serve 5-year terms and 2 members are elected by independent voters with no village affiliation to serve 5-year terms.***
*** People twenty-one years and over can vote, but only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono from the 41 village-based electorates. 4 of the larger electorates have 2 representatives each in the Fono.
Population:
- Population: 177,287 (July 2005 est.)
Future elections
- Parliamentary - March 2011
Past elections
- Parliamentary - March 31, 2006
- Parliamentary - March 2, 2001
Last Updated on 08/17/2005
