The Cabinet is the
executive branch of the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
of the
Independent State of Samoa.
Per article 31(1) of the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princ ...
, executive power is vested in the
Head of State
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
. Per article 26(1), however, "the Head of State in the performance of his functions shall act on the advice of Cabinet, the Prime Minister or the appropriate Minister, as the case may be". Article 32(1) provides that the Cabinet "shall have the general direction and control of the executive government" of Samoa.
The Cabinet is composed, per article 32(2), of the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
and "not fewer than eight nor more than twelve other
Members of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
", appointed by the Head of State on the advice of the Prime Minister.
XVII Cabinet
This Cabinet was appointed by
Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Afioga Fiamē Naomi Mataafa (born 29 April 1957) () is a Samoan politician and High Chiefess ('' matai'') who has served as the seventh Prime Minister of Samoa and leader of the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party since 2021.
The ...
during the
2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
A constitutional crisis began in Samoa on 22 May 2021 when O le Ao o le Malo (Head of State) Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II issued a proclamation purporting to prevent the Legislative Assembly from meeting in the wake of the gene ...
following the
April 2021 Samoan general election. The previous cabinet purported to continue in a caretaker role. On 23 July 2021 the Court of Appeal ruled that the swearing-in ceremony was constitutional and binding, and that FAST had been the government since 24 May.
Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster resigned on 3 June 2021 after being arrested for drink-driving. He returned to Cabinet on 20 October 2021, with the addition of the Tourism portfolio.
XVI Cabinet
This cabinet resulted from the
March 2016 general election.
A cabinet reshuffle in April 2019 made the following ministerial changes:
* Dr Tuitama Talalelei Tuitama moves from the Minister of Health to the Minister for Women, Community and Social Development
* Hon Faimalotoa Kika Stowers moves from the Minister for Women, Community and Social Development to the Minister of Health
XV Cabinet
As of March 2011. This Cabinet results from the
March 2011 general election, which saw the
Human Rights Protection Party retain an absolute majority of seats in Parliament. Its term corresponds to that of the
Fifteenth Parliament. The minister's ''
matai'' title precedes his or her name.
In April 2014, Finance Minister
Faumuina Tiatia Liuga resigned, after some twenty years in Cabinet, following "allegations of abuse in the performance of his ministerial duties". Prime Minister Malielegaoi took over the Finance portfolio himself.
XIV Cabinet
This Cabinet resulted from the
2006 Samoan general election.
XIII Cabinet
This Cabinet resulted from the
2001 Samoan general election
General elections were held in Samoa on 2 March 2001 to determine the composition of the 13th Parliament. Prime minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi led the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) into the election. Opposition leader and for ...
.
Tuu'u Anasi'i Leota was appointed Minister of Revenue and
Ga'ina Tino was moved to Minister of Justice following the death of
Seumanu Aita Ah Wa in January 2004.
References
{{Oceania topic, Cabinet of , title=National cabinets of Oceania
Cabinet
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...