An indirect election was held in Samoa to elect the O le Ao o le Malo (head of state) on 16 June 2007 after the death of the country's head of state for four and a half decades, Malietoa Tanumafili II, in May 2007. Former Prime Minister Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi was elected unopposed by the 49-member strong parliament. This election was the first to occur for an O le Ao o le Malo since Samoa gained independence in 1962.

Background

The O le Ao o le Malo is the head of state of Samoa, an office which was established on its independence in 1962. The position is mostly ceremonial. Although power is vested in the prime minister and their cabinet, the head of state can dissolve the Legislative Assembly, and no act can become law without their signature. The constitution, drafted in 1960 and adopted upon independence, stated that two paramount chiefs, Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole, representatives of "two of the four main family lineages", would serve as co-heads of state for life. After the termination of both of their terms, the Legislative Assembly would elect successive heads of state. The election was triggered by the death of Malietoa Tanumafili II in May 2007, who served as the sole head of state of Samoa since Tupua Tamasese predeceased him in 1963. Per the Constitution, the two members of the Council of Deputies at the time, Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi and Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II, served as acting co-heads of state until a successor would be elected.

Eligibility

Parliament elects the head of state for a five-year term. According to the Constitution, the legislative assembly may only nominate one individual to be head of state. For an individual to qualify to be head of state, they must be a Samoan citizen, be eligible to run for parliament and not have previously been removed from the office.

Election

Tui Ātua was the sole nominee elected as head of state. A former prime minister and son of Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole, he was previously the opposition leader and became a member of the Council of Deputies in 2004. He was sworn in at parliament for his first term on 20 June 2007.