Samoa facing constitutional crisis after election of first female prime minister

Samoa is currently facing a constitutional crisis with two political leaders laying claim to power.

The tussle is between first female Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa who won elections last month and Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who was prime minister for 22 years before his unexpected election loss.

Things came to a head on Monday May 24 when Mata’afa and her supporters arrived parliament to take the oath of office and form a new government but were not allowed in.

Samoa’s first female leader and members of her FAST party were forced to take oaths in a ceremony which was held under a tent in front of the locked parliament.

Her opponents have said this is illegal and Tuilaepa has gone ahead to hold a news conference insisting his government remains in charge.

He declared the oath taking by Mata’afa as treason, and the highest form of illegal conduct.

Fiame’s election win was seen as a milestone not only for Samoa, which is conservative, but also for the South Pacific, which has had few female leaders.