Head of State

The ceremony was held this morning at the Official Residence of the Head of State at Vailele.

Hoar assured to continue to strengthen bilateral relations between Samoa and the United Kingdom during his tenure by focusing on our shared goals of social and economic development.

Hoar was Consul General to various posts including Wuhan, Melbourne and Guangzhou.

He was also posted as First Secretary of Trade & Investments to Beijing, as Third Secretary for Press and Public Affairs to Washington and to Santiago as an Administrator Officer.

It's 12 years since Samoa last held the post.

USP Vice-president, Professor Pal Ahluwaliam and USP's Samoa Centre Director, To'oto'oolea'ava Fana'afi Aiono Le Tagaloa, announced the appointment.

The new chancellor will be installed at the university's graduation ceremony in Apia on Friday.

The chancellorship of the regional University rotates every year.

Prime Minister Fiane Naomi Mata'afa says Parliament will decide at the next sitting on August 23 whether Tuimalealiifano gets another five-year term.

Tuimalealiifano took office on July 21, 2017 taking over from Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi after he served two terms.

Samoa's previous Human Rights Protection Party government introduced a constitutional amendment limiting the Head of State's time in office to two five-year terms.

Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said this was included in the FAST manifesto for the 2021 General Election

Parliament has approved 250,000 tālā to fund a review of the Constitution, the first in 60 years.

Fiame says the five-year term was an original provision from the beginning of the Constitution.

But the Head of State can be removed at any time by a two thirds majority vote of Parliament.

Samoa's first Head of State was a joint appointment of Tupua Tamasese Meaole and Malietoa Tanumafili II, who were appointed for life.

Prior to giving his blessings, the Head of State repealed his proclamation given on Sunday, 4 July 2021 where he called Parliament to convene on Monday, 2 August 2021 at 9:30am with conditions and avowed that there is no majority party

The proclamation was broadcast on TV1 on Sunday evening from his residence in Vailele.

He also acknowledged the former Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi for his service to Samoa as well as the Human Rights and Protection Party (HRPP) for hard work for the past 20 years.

Samoa's FAST party holds 26 seats, to the HRPP's 21 seats. But there are more electoral petitions to come.

Earlier this week, the Head of State issued a proclamation claiming the Supreme Court had usurped his powers by ordering parliament to sit; and that the Court had shown flagrant disregard, and disrespect, of the powers of the Head of State.

That came after the Supreme Court ruled parliament must sit by Monday 5 June, and warned any attempt to obstruct that sitting would be considered as contempt of court and parliament.

Last night the Head of State went against a Supreme Court ruling for parliament to meet by today at the latest.

The developments are the latest chapter of a political and constitutional crisis in Samoa which began after the elections in April.

The FAST party won the election by a slim majority but the rival HRPP remains in a caretaker role, insisting that the parliament must have six seats for women.

Only five women were elected and Tuimalealiifano said this has to be taken into account.

He made the announcement on television last night ahead of today's deadline set by the Supreme Court for parliament to sit after the April election.

The FAST party won a slim majority but the rival HRPP remains in a caretaker role, insisting that the parliament must have six seats for women.

Only five women were elected and Tuimalealiifano said this has to be taken into account.

 In a televised 59th Independence Anniversary address today, Tuimalealiifano provided his first public comments since he cancelled a scheduled sitting of parliament 10 days ago.

In a brief proclamation issued late on Saturday night, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II said he was suspending parliament "until such time as to be announced and for reasons that I will make known in due course."

There appeared to be no insight to when that explanation might be, although it appeared to catch many by surprise, even in an election that has had an unprecedented number of historic twists and turns.