Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi

ex Prime Minister of Samoa

Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi (born 14 April 1945)[1] is a Samoan politician. He was the Prime Minister of Samoa from 1998 until 2021. He became Opposition Leader in 2021 after refusing to say that he lost the 2021 election, causing the 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis.


Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Tuila'epa in 2018
6th Prime Minister of Samoa
In office
23 November 1998 – 24 May 2021[a]
O le Ao o le MaloMalietoa Tanumafili II
Tupua Tamasese Efi
Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II
DeputyMisa Telefoni Retzlaff
Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo
Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Preceded byTofilau Eti Alesana
Succeeded byFiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Leader of the Opposition
Assumed office
27 July 2021
Prime MinisterFiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Preceded byPalusalue Faʻapo II (2016)
Leader of the Human Rights Protection Party
Assumed office
23 November 1998
DeputyMisa Telefoni Retzlaff
Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo
Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Preceded byTofilau Eti Alesana
Other offices held
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
23 November 1998 – 24 May 2021
Preceded byTofilau Eti Alesana
Succeeded byFiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
In office
11 September 2020 – 24 May 2021
Preceded byFiamē Naomi Mata'afa
Succeeded byToeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster
Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa
In office
15 May 1991 – 23 November 1998
Prime MinisterTofilau Eti Alesana
Preceded byTupua Tamasese Efi
Succeeded byMisa Telefoni Retzlaff (2001)
Member of the Samoan Parliament
for Lepā
Assumed office
May 1981
Preceded byFatialofa Momo'e
Personal details
Born
Sa'ilele Malielegaoi

(1945-04-14) 14 April 1945 (age 79)
Lepā, Western Samoa Trust Territory (now Samoa)
Political partyHuman Rights Protection Party
Spouse(s)Gillian Meredith
Children8
Alma materUniversity of Auckland
Sports career
Medal record
Archery
Representing  Samoa
South Pacific Games
Silver medal – second place 2007 Apia Mixed team recurve

He has also been Leader of the Leader of the Human Rights Protection Party since 1998, and is Samoa's longest serving head of government.[2]

Tuila'epa was permanently suspended from the legislative assembly on 24 May 2022 for breach of parliamentary privileges and contempt of parliament.[3] He later described his suspension as a "witch hunt".[4]

  1. Disputed: 24 May 2021 – 23 July 2021. The Supreme Court ruled on 23 July that Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa's FAST government had been legitimate since 24 May. Tuila'epa's HRPP government did not relinquish power until 27 July.

References

change
  1. "THE HON TUILA'EPA LUPESOLIAI NEIOTI AIONO SAILELE MALIELEGAOI PRIME MINISTER". Pacific Islands Forum. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  2. "Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi". Archived from the original on 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2021-05-20 – via samoagovt.ws.
  3. "Tuilaepa & Lealailepule suspended indefinitely for contempt of Parliament". Talamua Online. 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  4. "Constitutional checks and balances of power in Samoa's Parliament thrown overboard". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 1 June 2022.