This episode examines the fatal consequences of New Zealand’s rule in Samoa, and the key events that led to the rise of Samoa's ‘Mau’ resistance movement.
Despite the constitutional crisis surrounding them, the people of Samoa are calm and collected – instilling their trust in the constitution and having faith that, in due course, they will have a government to lead them.
With the doors to the actual parliament locked to try to stop the transition of power, the FAST party and its leader, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Samoa s first woman prime minister, were sworn in outside of parliament, in a marquee. For those who aren’t so sure about what’s going on in Samoa and the changes it brings about to its political scene and prime minister, let’s explain the basics.
BEC HANIFY-SEUMANU/Supplied Who has been the dominant political party? For 39 years, Samoa has had the same political party – the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) – in power, and the same leader since 1998.