Fiame Sets Path for Our Pacific Women in Politics

A new era of regional politics has risen from the heart of Polynesia.

A Samoan chieftess is poised to be the first woman Prime Minister in the Pacific.

Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is no stranger to Pacific politics. Her political pedigree is unquestionable. It began in the 1980s.

The 64-year-old is set to lead close to 200,000 Samoans as their first woman Prime Minister.

Former longtime Samoa Observer editor Mata’afa Keni Lesa said this was a gigantic step forward for gender equality - a push to have more women in positions of leadership.

A Samoan proverb best describes this rise to leadership – e au le inailau a tama’itai (the legacy of women is that of success).

Fiame is the embodiment of such legacy, and she can only inspire and motivate more women to follow. She ousted the world’s second longest serving Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi. He has been at the helm since 1998.

This follows the ruling by the country’s Supreme Court on Monday declaring a decision for re-election and the election of a sixth woman Member of Parliament as unconstitutional.

After weeks of political stalemate, Head of State, His Highness Tuimalealiifano Valeatoa Sualauvi II, has agreed to convene Parliament on Monday, May 24, 2021.

This is in line with the country’s Constitution. It dictates the convening of Parliament 45 days from the date of election, which was held on April 9, 2021.

SAMOAN FONO (LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY) AND ELECTION BACKGROUND

Fiame had been a member of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) since 1985, when she started her political career. She was Samoa’s first woman Cabinet Minister, representing her district Lotofaga.

For more than 40 years HRPP has had no truly organised political party opposition, with caretaker Prime Minister Tuilaepa leading the HRPP to four general election wins.

Fiame has held various portfolios under the HRPP-led Government, including being the Minister for Education for 15 years.

She was also the first woman Deputy Prime Minister for Samoa from 2006 until her resignation in September 2020.

Fiame had disapproved of three Bills that would create a Land and Titles Court, which would not be subject to judicial oversight by the Supreme Court.

The Land and Titles Court normally deals with Samoan customary laws and chiefly titles. The Bills were passed by the HRPP on December 15, 2020.

Outside of Parliament, there was growing campaign to oust the ruling HRPP in the April general election.

The FAST party or Fa’atuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (Faith in the One True God), founded by former HRPP Member of Parliament and Speaker Laauli Leuatea Schmidt, formed a coalition with two other parties. Together they contested the election under the FAST banner.

This was further strengthened with Fiame unanimously elected as the party leader in March this year by the FAST caucus.

Both FAST and HRPP won 25 seats during the April election. FAST was open to forming Government after an independent MP aligned himself to the party – offering FAST a one-seat majority.

The shocking win in the April election placed Samoa under weeks of unprecedented political drama.

The Electoral Commissioner later announced the appointment of a sixth woman from the HRPP to Parliament under the 10 per cent female quota rule. This prompted the Head of State to call for a snap election that was scheduled yesterday.

Both these decisions were overruled as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on Monday. Tuilaepa is appealing the judgment.

HRPP, TUILAEPA AND FIAME

Tuilaepa and HRPP have done exceptionally well for Samoa having the ability to maintain political stability.

Tuilaepa pushed through some much needed reforms using his crushing parliamentary power.

But the entrenchement of the HRPP power and absence of a real opposition saw some worrying that Samoa had become a one-party state.

Fiame came to share that worry.

“Samoans in Samoa need to experience the true workings of a democracy in Parliament, not like we’ve seen in the past 10 years,” Mata’afa said.

Fiame and FAST present themselves as the most organised political party with the support base of the Samoan diaspora overseas.

“They have made a lot of grand announcements, and it has been music to the ears, but it’s easier said than done. Fiame at the helm though provides experience, stability and credibility. It’s a good start,” Mata’afa said.

The two leaders have differences in leadership and political ideologies. Tuilaepa is pragmatic and gets things done.

“He’s a man, who has become so used to getting what he wants, regardless of how, which unfortunately appears to have led to a lot of his problems today,” Mata’afa said.

On the other hand, Fiame comes across as someone who is willing to listen, negotiate and she exudes confidence, love and care.

“As a woman, I think it’s what’s needed especially in uncertain and volatile times, not just in Samoa but the rest of the world. As Prime Minister elect, she will have her work cut out for her.”

Q&A WITH FIAME

IVAMERE: How do you feel knowing that you are set be sworn-in as Samoa’s first woman Prime Minister?

Fiame: I feel quite prepared for it. We’ve been working very hard with Projectthe FAST party to build an infrastructure to develop a particular development agenda and the kind of governance we want our country to move back to the rule of law, because that’s slipping away from us. I feel excited to do that.

IVAMERE: Were you always keen in becoming a politician, knowing that your father (Fiame Mata’afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II) was the first Prime Minister of independent Samoa?

Fiame: In some ways you can say that politics is a family thing. I grew up in a political family and I’ve been in that environment. I’ve always been interested in politics. I’m interested in social organisation and how people work together, not just politics. You look at our traditional system and all the different kinds of organisations and it’s significant because it determines the direction that a country takes for its development, so it’s very important.

IVAMERE: What is FAST hoping to do differently for Samoa with you at the helm?

Fiame: We need to refocus our development agenda on the welfare of the Samoan people. The indicators are such that our education rates are declining, our health rates are also declining, and I think the current Government has lost sight of that to develop an economic model where there are higher rates of participation by all Samoans in the economy - you know putting money back into people’s hands.

First of all, we have to organise ourselves because it’s a new administration. There are quite a number of new people, and we have to orientate our people. I think we need to look at in-house issues, especially with the public service, because you will understand the public service are the implementers of Government policy, so I think it’s very important that we should pay attention to the working relationship between our new administration and the public service. And of course, the first critical item will be a budget because that needs to be brought out by the end of June.

IVAMERE: The Fiame title is one of the highest Matai titles in Samoa. When you were bestowed the title at the age of 20, did it change your perspective as a young woman studying Political Science and entering Politics?

Fiame: The Fiame title had an impact on my leadership role and political career. It was also the title that my father used when he was in politics. He had three titles, but it was actually the Fiame title that he entered Parliament in. I always tell women that it’s really difficult for us to break into politics and that whatever advantages we have, and whether it’s your ranking traditional title, the connections that you have through those titles, people have to utilise all of those to ensure that we work those effectively to get into politics.

IVAMERE: You’ve worked with Tuilaepa for quite a long time under the HRPP-led Government. Was the decision to leave the party a difficult step for you?

Fiame: Leaving the HRPP, a lot of people seem to think that would’ve been a very difficult decision for me to make, and it’s because I’ve become the Deputy Prime Minister. But for me, it was a very easy decision to make. I saw where the party was going, I could not agree or live with it, so my choice was to move out, and I don’t want to see that kind of Government for my country. So, we’ve built a new party where we hope to return Samoa to the rule of law and the Constitution that was prepared by our forefathers.

IVAMERE: How would you rate the achievement of the HRPP and Tuilaepa?

Fiame: I was there for a long time. The HRPP has achieved many goals and so forth, but I’d have to say that as a legislator, I see that my party or the Government of the day is using its power to manipulate the law -particularly to benefit particular people or sectors and to deny the natural checks and balances that are built into our Government, especially the three pillars of Government.

That’s very dangerous and I couldn’t condone what was happening there. I would like to return our country back to the normality of the rule of law and especially that people respect the rule of law. Right now, there is no respect for the law.

IVAMERE: What is your position on the recent University of the South Pacific saga, given that you were once the pro-chancellor and chair of the university?

Fiame: I think it’s most unfortunate what has happened, once again with the new administration coming in and finding some irregular happenings, you know, but the older administration are hanging on, it’s that old story of keeping the power and enjoying the gravy train.

IVAMERE: What legacy do you want to leave behind for Samoans, the Pacific, and women during your tenure?

Fiame: Politicians are public servants and I come from a line of public servants from both my parents. I think service to the public is one of the best calling that we can have to serve other people and I would like to continue that legacy that my family had been involved with for a very long time.

It’s not just politics; it’s any field that women had led or trailblazed and the whole thing about trail blazing and role model. If you’re genuinely carrying out your responsibilities and people can see them, then they can see themselves doing those things and being in those positions. So that’s the best way I can say to young women - we are able to do it because quite often with politics, women tend to think it’s not their lot.

MORE ABOUT FIAME

She is a high chieftess from the village of Lotofaga;

Studied at Malifa Government Primary School in Samoa and continued her secondary education at Samuel Marsden Collegiate School in Wellington, New Zealand;

1. Studied political science at Victoria University of Wellington from 1976 – 1979;
2. Her mother is Laulu Fetauimalemau Mataafa who also served as a civil servant for Samoa;
3. She was conferred the title Fiame in 1977 at the age of 20;
4. She is single;
5. She is the second woman to take the leadership role in a political party. Her aunt, Matatumua Maimoana Vermullen, founded and led the Samoa All People’s Party in the ‘80s; and
6. Internationally, she has represented Samoa and the Pacific Islands on the Executive Board of UNESCO and the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth of Learning.