Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from
1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA
(since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from
1992 and assumed the duties of acting prime minister in 1996, when
former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health;
TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after
TOFILAU died; Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of
state on the prime minister's advice
elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new
chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve
a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of
state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47 elected by
voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral
districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly non-Samoan or
part-Samoan, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a
village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to
the Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: election last held 3 March 2001 (next election to be held
not later than March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles
Court
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection
Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoan
Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman]
(opposition)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197
FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to
Samoa
embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor, Apia
mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone: [685] 21631/22696
FAX: [685] 22030
Flag description:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing
five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross
constellation