Editing Politics of Samoa (section)

==Executive branch==

[[File:Samoa government building 2010.JPG|thumb|right|350px|Government Building in the capital [[Apia]] housing administrative ministerial offices. On the roof is a modern version of a traditional oval Samoan [[architecture of Samoa|''fale'']].]]

{{office-table}}
|[[O le Ao o le Malo]]
|[[Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II]]
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|21 July 2017
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Samoa|Prime Minister]]
|[[Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa]]
|[[Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi|FAST]]
|24 May 2021
|}

The 1960 Constitution, which formally came into force with independence, is based on the [[United Kingdom|British]] Westminster model of [[parliamentary democracy]], modified to take account of Samoan customs. Two of Samoa's four highest ranking paramount chiefs ([[Tamaʻāiga|tama a ʻāiga]]) at the time of independence, [[Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole]] and [[Malietoa Tanumafili II]], were given lifetime appointments to jointly hold the office of head of state ([[O le Ao o le Malo]]). Another paramount chief, [[Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II]] was elected into parliament and became the first [[Prime Minister of Samoa]]. The fourth, [[Tuiaana Tuimalealiʻifano Suatipatipa II]], was made a member of the [[Council of Deputies]] (deputy head of state). After Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole's death in 1963, Malietoa continued to hold the post of Head of State alone. [[Death and state funeral of Malietoa Tanumafili II|He died]] in May 2007 and his successor, [[Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi]] was elected by the legislature for a five-year term in June 2007. At the time the Constitution was adopted it was anticipated that future Heads of State would be chosen from among the four tama a ʻāiga. However, this is not required by the Constitution and for this reason Samoa can be considered a [[parliamentary republic]] rather than a constitutional monarchy like the United Kingdom. Parliament (the Fono) can also amend the constitution through a simple majority of votes in the house.

===System of government===

The Samoa system is a very hard model of parliamentary democracy where the executive and the legislative arms of government are fused together. The prime minister is chosen by a majority in the Fono and is appointed by the head of state to form a government. The prime minister's preferred cabinet of 12 is appointed and sworn in by the head of state, subject to the continuing confidence of the Fono, which since the rise of political parties in Samoa in the 1980s, is controlled by the party with the majority of members in the Fono (the government).

The unicameral legislature, named the [[Fono|Fono Aoao Faitulafono]] (National Legislative Assembly) contains 49 members serving five-year terms. Forty-seven are elected from ethnic Samoan territorial constituencies; the other two are chosen by the Samoan citizens of non-Samoan origin on a separate electoral roll. [[Universal suffrage]] was extended in 1990, but only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Samoan seats. There are more than 25,000 matai in the country, about 5% of whom are women.

[[Le Mamea Ropati]] is the sole current member of the Council of Deputies, and acts as deputy to the head of state.