1976 Western Samoan general election

none September 2021 Western Samoa List of members of the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa (1973–1976) List of members of the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa (1976–1979) parliamentary 1973 Western Samoan general election 1973 1979 Western Samoan general election 1979 All 47 seats in the Legislative Assembly 21 February 1976 Independents 47 seats 47 Prime Minister Subsequent Prime Minister Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IVActing Tupuola Efi Independent politician Independent politician General elections were held in Western Samoa on 21 February 1976. All candidates ran as independents and voting was restricted to Matai and citizens of European origin ("individual voters"), with the Matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two.Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p782 0-19-924959-8 Following the election, Tupuola Efi became prime minister. Background In the aftermath of the previous elections held in 1973, parliament elected Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II to another non-consecutive term as prime minister, defeating the incumbent Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV and challenger Tupuola Efi.Stomachs, cars and liquor bars loomed large in Samoa election https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-336965622/view?partId=nla.obj-336998457#page/n7/mode/1up 22 May 2022 Pacific Islands Monthly April 1973 Fiamē served as Western Samoa's head of government until his death two years later in 1975. The O le Ao o le Malo (head of state) Malietoa Tanumafili II appointed Tupua Tamasese to serve as acting prime minister until the next election.Tupuola Efi dispels a myth and upsets a Samoan tradition Pacific Islands Monthly, May 1976, pp29–30 Campaign A total of 169 candidates contested the 47 seats. Four seats had only one candidate, who was returned unopposed.Campaigning at the bar Pacific Islands Monthly, March 1976, p75 Results Of the 36 incumbent MLAs contesting the elections, only 14 were re-elected. Ministers Alfonso Philipp and Fepuleai Samuelu were amongst those losing their seats. Independents 9203 47 98   Total ballots cast 12254 Nohlen et al. Aftermath The election result in Fa'asaleleaga No. 4 where I'iga Suafole had won by one vote was overturned following a petition by runner-up Mulitalo Siafausa, who claimed that unqualified voters had participated in the election. The Supreme Court annulled one vote for Suafole, and a by-election was ordered for the seat.One lousy vote! Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1976, p11 Following the elections, the Legislative Assembly elected Leota Leuluaiali'i Ituau Ale as Speaker. In the contest for prime minister, Tupuola Efi defeated the incumbent Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV by 31 votes to 16, becoming the first prime minister not to hold one of the four Tama-a-Aiga titles. Efi appointed a nine-member cabinet, while Lealofi resigned from the Assembly and was elected to the Council of Deputies. PositionMinisterPrime MinisterTupuola EfiMinister of AgricultureFuimaono MimioMinister of CommunicationsTofaeono TileMinister of Economic AffairsAsi EikeniMinister of EducationLilomaiava NikoMinister of FinanceVaovasamanaia FilipoMinister of JusticeUlualofaiga Talamaivao NikoMinister of LandsMano TogamauMinister of WorksLetiu Tamatoa See also List of members of the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa (1976–1979) References Western Samoa General Category:Elections in Samoa Category:Non-partisan elections Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results