INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA‘Government Politics: Elections, political parties and national policy-making’

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

Nature of Democracy Outline of the key features of the current

political system Importance of custom in determining

electoral outcomes: ‘Usita’i and emphasis on the ‘collective’

Political Party Influence on public policy: Problems caused (and faced) by the current political party: 3 examples *

Focal points for government priorities, policies and actions: Women (FDI/FA) and Outmigration.

Western Samoa is located in Polynesia

A LIBERAL DEMOCRACY?

Q. What do you think are the defining characteristics of a liberal democracy?

THE TWO STREAMS OF THOUGHT

1. Acceptable / legitimate government to the people [First Stream of Thought: FST]

2. All people having ‘equal say’ [Second Stream of Thought: SST]

Traditional Samoan approach to governance based on kinship and blood ties i.e. Matai system

Western approach to governance in which every individual has equal say / opportunity to represent the constituency

**

SAMOA’S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE: KEY FEATURES OF THE CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEM

Name: Independent State of Samoa (Western Samoa)*

Independence: 1962 System: Combines Westminster system

w/ ‘Fa’a Matai ** Precedence in region: free from colonial

rule Initial focus: to preserve Samoan custom Chiefly system: 49 (47 Matai, 2

Independent) *** Universal suffrage: 1991

IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOM: DETERMINING ELECTORAL OUTCOMES

Electoral contests: Majority system * Voters: residents, 21 years old, clean record Electors: MUST be Matai title holders FAIR? Critiqued by the SST: all members

should have the ‘right’ to represent the constituent.

Defended by Va’a: collectivity: **“human rights…are something embodied by culture and attached to social action”.

‘Usitai’: All members of society support each other and in doing so are equally supported.

IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOM: EMPHASIS ON THE ‘COLLECTIVE’

“ Usitai (obedience): ‘…is of utmost importance in the

parent-child, chief-taulealea, senior-junior and other types of close-knit relationships. In Samoan society, it is a maxim that some give orders, for example, parents to their children, chiefs to their serving me, and others obey, for example children to their parents, serving men to their Matai, younger to the elder. The justification is that this practice is sanctioned by society for the good of all its members” [emphasis added].

(Grogan)

IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOM: EMPHASIS ON THE ‘COLLECTIVE’

‘Collective’ = consensus in selecting Matai ‘Election’ process of the Matai (all members

of aiga had input)* FST: legitimate authority through collective

selection of Matai = Liberal democracy?? Crocombe: “In Samoa, every second man over

30 years of age is a Matai. In Tonga, there is one chief for every 4,000 people. So although only chiefs stand for parliament in Samoa, every family is represented.”

POLITICAL PARTIES INFLUENCE: PUBLIC POLICY

Political party – product of ‘centralized govt’, NOT kinship (Crocombe), emerged with elected governments

Samoa: 8 members to qualify for a political party

2007-2008, no opposition = absence of political opposition in the Legislative Assembly: still a majority/block system? Or Monopolistic?

THE KEY POLITICAL PARTY: AN UNCHECKED POWER-BROKER? Problems: (a) Ability to block ‘bad policy’ restricted by lack of information(b) Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) majority power for 22 years – passed

very controversial bills. - Auditor General- Extended time period between elections (3-5 years)- Value Added Goods and Services Tax (VAGST)

“The tax increased the value of goods and services by 10 percent. At the same time the VAGST was introduced, the government also increased the price of goods and services…the combined increases had a dramatic effect on the price of goods; in total prices rose by 25 percent, sometimes even 30 percent. For example, raw sugar had a pre-VAGST amount of 0.50 cents per pound. The price of raw sugar as of 4th January 1999 was $0.63 cents per pound.

(Huffer)

A liberal democracy??

THE KEY POLITICAL PARTIES’ INFLUENCE: CAN WE JUSTIFY THIS?!

So’o: external pressures eroding traditional forms of government by ‘pushing the market’*

- Extending role of Matai- Increased emphasis on ‘privacy’ ** (Goals Increases to GDP (4-5%), reduce

inflation average (2-3%) and BOP statements)

FST: Liberal democracy achieved? Conflict over decision-making processes; trying to achieve ‘collective’ good for society by imp. Overall economic conditions.***

FOCAL POINTS FOR GOVT. PRIORITIES, POLICIES & ACTIONS: WOMEN IN POLITICS

Women’s issues will be under-represented in parliament:

“One thing that we are infamous for is being the least represented by women in the world…. I would think that is a fair comment in terms of what is happening in the Pacific, and the level of development in our respective countries…although this does vary within the Pacific.”

(Faime Naomi Mata’afa; Current Minister for Women,Community and Social Development)

“Democracy = Development”

(Roland Rich)

FOCAL POINTS: WOMEN IN POLITICS – WHY THE DISCREPANCY?

Only Matai’s qualify for titles, some females hold titles but vast majority are men.

- Increased rivalry over the titles- Proliferation of titles(minimizes women’s ability to be ‘behind the

scenes power brokers’.).* Fraenkal: democracy requiresa) Non-Matai to run for parliamentb) Review villages where women can not run

for election (reform through education).

BUT: will erode this erode traditional Samoan culture?

FOCAL POINTS: WOMEN IN POLITICS – HOW DO WE BRIDGE THE GAP?

A ‘traditionalist’ approach to liberal democracy

- 4 females in parliament (higher figure) ‘Faegaiga’ (customary Law)- Men (land rights, family titles, represent

family in village fono)- Women (lead social rituals and power of

Veto over political decisions.*Samoan approach to governance

undermined by western impositions re: what constitutes democracy??

FOCAL POINTS: WOMEN IN POLITICS – HOW DO WE BRIDGE THE GAP?

“Samoans managed to solve the problems of gender inequality long before Westerners came forward with their own notions of equality, which appear rational on paper, but still bear some unresolved conflicts. For example, if husbands and wives have equal rights, it means they also have the equal right to work but what happens to the children? Who is going to look after them? Is that not the fundamental reason for their getting married in the first place? In other words, in the faa-Samoa, equality without context is meaningless!”

(Vaa) NOTE: why women who subscribe to customary rights are

dismissive of campaigning for ‘more rights’ as a government priority!!

FOCAL POINT: WOMEN IN POLITICS – RE-WRITING POLICY

Q. How would you ensure that women are more equally represented in parliament? What policies would you implement? Given discussion so far is this even a valid question? AND

Is this possible, without admonishing the Matai system?

FOCAL POINT: WOMEN IN POLITICS – RE-WRITING POLICYPossible Solutions (reform according to western liberal democracy model)

1a. Reserved seats for women: this normally entails eligible citizens having more than one vote (one in the ‘general’ constituency and another in the ‘reserved women’s’ constituency.  

1b. Activism by civil society organizations (aimed at increasing women’s representation and the emergence of credible women candidates – should this include women with non-Matai titles?)

1b.a Statuary affirmative action programs will need to be complimented by broader popular pressure to alter the sex imbalance in parliament (so that women in reserved seats do not become ‘token MP’s’ without any decision-making authority).

1c. Voluntary party quotas for women (increase support and establish competition between parties on sex balance issues).

1d. Public funding aimed at assisting women candidates (training for ‘women in politics, subsidies enabling media air-time, tax-breaks or refunds on campaign expenditures).

FOCAL POINT: WOMEN IN POLITICS – RE-WRITING POLICY

Q. What is the problem with this from the perspective of a woman who subscribes to customary norms and law? **

2a. Education about how the system works so that even at the village level people are informed

FOCAL POINT: WOMEN IN POLITICS – FOREIGN AID

An alternate perspective: Foreign donors, in pursuing market interests, marginalize women in parliament further:

“Foreign donors sometimes back favored political parties or pliant candidates, or, as is frequently the case with big mining or logging interests, hedge their bets by backing numerous rival parties. Usually, both types of donations – those which fund the politicians, and those which are received by the voters – are to ‘big men’, village headmen, male chiefs and male politicians 50 Women’s marginal position in money politics thus becomes another means of ensuring their marginalization from Pacific parliaments.” ***

(Fraenkal)

FOCAL POINT: OUTMIGRATION

Conflict between traditional governance and that of the west:

(a) Economic(b) Social Collective motivation‘Fa’alavelave’: obligations persons have to

their aiga to distribute material wealth (Gough), returns as ‘remittances’**

FOCAL POINT: OUTMIGRATION

The discrepancy between the incomes of foreign nationals compared to those living in Samoa heightens corrupt practice in election processes.

(a) Remittances (informal / gifts to Aiga) Issues: buy titles, fund favored political

candidates, confusion between ‘gift-giving’ & bribery

FOCAL POINT: OUTMIGRATION

Illegal for politicians to accept bribes – parliamentarians regularly lose seats for exercising ‘undue influence’.

- Unclear policy re: constitution of bribery

NO FOOD but sandwiches and tea?? **

FOCAL POINT: OUTMIGRATION Primary issue: remittances being used as ‘early money’. *

‘Being known’ (an advantage for incumbents or candidates with provincial government backgrounds) or kinship links with famous politicians, establishment of local campaigning networks and manipulation of client relationships can prove critical to victory.”

A liberal democracy: less collectivist/more individualist due to time abroad – considering over representation of candidates forced to defend their election victories on claims of ‘treating’.

Q. What policies would you implement to limit the impact of remittances on manipulating the electorate? What other policy issues stem from out-migration? **

CONCLUSION

Samoan governance - in being constructed around certain assumptions (shared beliefs, values and practices) is becoming increasingly contentious.

This is causative of the pressures placed upon traditional systems of government by the global environment, which in turn has triggered internal conflict and dissention within Samoa.

None-the-less traditional forms of governance are valid to Samoan society, representing a form of ‘liberal-democracy’ that is justifiable given that many of the aspects align with the ‘Pacific Way’.