Western Samoa Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: Independent State of Western Samoa
conventional short form: Western Samoa

Data code WS

Government type constitutional monarchy under native chief

National capital Apia

Administrative divisions 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga,Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Independence 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday National Day, 1 June (1962)

Constitution 1 January 1962

Legal system based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislativeacts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsoryICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state : Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II (cochief of state from 1 January1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988); Deputy PrimeMinister TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi (since NA 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice
elections : upon the death of Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II, a new chief ofstate will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term;prime minister appointed by the chief of state with the approval of the LegislativeAssembly

Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats; members elected bypopular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 26 April 1996 (next to be held 26 April 2001)
election results : percent of vote by party - HRPP 45.17%, SNDP 27.1%, independents 23.7%;seats by party - HRPP 25, SNDP 13, independents 11

Judicial branch Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman;Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party, LEOTA Ituau Ale; Samoa All People's Party(SAPP), Matatumua MAIMOAGA

International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE
chancery: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800D, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197
FAX : [1] (212) 599-0797

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN (Ambassador to New Zealand and WesternSamoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand)
embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address: P.O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone : [685] 21631
FAX: [685] 22030

Flag description red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing fivewhite five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

NOTE: The information regarding Western Samoa on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Western Samoa Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Western Samoa Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.