Despite a veneer of democracy, Samoa is sliding into autocracy
The Conversation
17 May 2021, 16:38 GMT+10
The fragility of democracy in Samoa has been on full display in the past month. On April 9, voters used the national election to deliver a powerful rebuke to the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which has ruled their Pacific nation for four decades as a virtual one-party state.
Initially, the HRPP was locked in a dead heat (25 seats each) with the Fa atuatua I Le Atua Samoa Ua Tasi (FAST) party, with one independent candidate, Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio, deciding the victor.
FAST was formed in protest against the government rushing three bills into law in 2020 that fundamentally altered Samoa s constitutional, judicial and customary frameworks. The stunning election results registered the depth of anger about this legislation and the desire for change.
Despite a veneer of democracy, Samoa is sliding into autocracy
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Despite a veneer of democracy, Samoa is sliding into autocracy
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