Tautua Samoa Party

The party was formed by 11 independent Members of Parliament in December 2008.[2] The party's founders described their aim as providing parliamentary opposition to the ruling Human Rights Protection Party.[3]

Under the Samoan Electoral Act, registering as members of a new party would have required Tautua Samoa's members to contest a by-election for their parliamentary seats. To avoid this, the party was initially registered under the Companies Act,[4] and its members remained listed as independents.[5] However, as such it was not an officially recognized party by the Parliament of Samoa. Samoa at times has had no official opposition parties, because of restrictive Parliamentary rules that control and constrain the formation of opposition parties.[6][7]

The party launched with no formal leader; its interim chair was Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.[8] In January 2009, the Speaker of Parliament ordered Tautua Samoa to provide formal notice of its existence and membership.[9] The party formally identified itself, and nine Members of Parliament identified themselves as members. In May, Speaker Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Lei'ataua revoked the parliamentary membership of all nine of the party's MPs, on the grounds that joining a party after being elected breached the provisions of the Electoral Act and the parliament standing orders.[10] Their expulsion from Parliament would prompt by-elections. Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi stated that he would seek an interim injunction against the Speaker's ruling.[11][12] The Supreme Court of Samoa cancelled the by-elections and reinstated the MPs, stating that the speaker's position was wrong and the party formation was legal.[13]

In March 2010, the Electoral Act was amended, forbidding any Member of Parliament from leaving their initial party while retaining their seat. Consequently, three members of the Tautua Samoa Party resigned from Parliament: party chairman Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, and former HRPP cabinet ministers Palusalue Fa’apo II and Va'ai Papu Vailupe. Their resignation led to by-elections in their constituencies: Vaisigano number one, Faleata West, and Safata territorial.[14] Only those three Members of Parliament resigned, because only they declared they were members of the party following its formal registration. Other MPs who had initially aligned themselves with the party are therefore not officially members.[15]

On 2 May 2010 Va'ai Papu Vailupe was elected unopposed in the Vaisigano by-election, becoming the first MP elected for the party.[16]

In September 2010 the party announced that it had made an agreement with the Samoa Party and is negotiating with the People's Party for the latter to run their candidates under the Tautua banner.[1] Shortly thereafter, the leader of the Samoa Party, Feo Nemaia Esau, announced that his party had disbanded and merged into the Tautua Samoa Party. He explained that the merger would form a more "united opposition" to the ruling Human Rights Protection Party.[17]

Also in September 2010, founding member Mulipola Oliva asked to run as an HRPP candidate.[18]

In November, the party announced that it had reached an agreement with the United Samoa People's Party and several independent politicians to form an organisation, Tumua'i Tutusa, to campaign together for the election. The new group's chairman, Afualo Dr. Wood Salele, stated that the organisation would seek divine intervention, notably through a week of fasting and praying, to defeat the Human Rights Protection Party in the upcoming election.[19] In December, party president Papalii Tavita Moala resigned unexpectedly, and Afualo Dr. Woods Salele was chosen for the presidency in his place.[20] On 22 December 2010 Va'ai Papu Vailupe was formally chosen as party leader, with Palusalue Fa’apo II as their deputy.[21]

In January 2011 the party announced a list of 47 candidates to contest the election.[22] In February 2011 at least three Tautua candidates were prevented from standing after village mayors refused to sign their nomination forms.[23][24] On 14 February the party elected Va'aelua Eti Alesana as its new president.[25]

At the election the party won 13 of 49 seats.[26] Following the election party leader Va'ai Papu Vailupe was found guilty of bribery and treating and deprived of their seat.[27] He contested the subsequent 2011 Vaisigano No. 1 by-election, but was unsuccessful.[28] Vailupe was subsequently convicted of bribery and fined $2,500.[29] In the interim, Palusalue Fa’apo II was confirmed as party leader, with A'eau Peniamina Leavaise'eta as their deputy.[30]

Party president Va'aelua Eti Alesana died on 4 October 2011.[31] On 11 November, Leatinu’u Salote Lesa became the party's president - the first woman to lead a political party in Samoa.[32][33]

In October 2015 the party began publishing its own newspaper, Tautua Lelei.[34]

In the leadup to the 2016 election, Tautua MP Levaopolo Talatonu Va’ai announced that he planned to quit the party and establish a new opposition party.[35] The party's chief whip, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, subsequently defected to the HRPP.[36]

On 4 January 2016 Tautua announced its key election policies of free medical care for under-5-year-olds, increased pension funding, and a ban on work on Sundays.[37] The party ran only 25 candidates,[38] and several were subsequently declared ineligible.[39] The party won only two seats, which increased to three after Levaopolo Talatonu Va’ai rejoined the caucus.[40]

In April 2020 Ili Setefano Ta’ateo, one of the party's two MP's, revealed that he was facing pressure from his constituents to switch his support to the HRPP.[41]

The party nominated 14 candidates for the 2021 election.[42] On 11 December 2020 the party announced an electoral alliance with the Samoa First Party and Sovereign Independent Samoa Party, under which the parties will support each other's candidates in seats where they are not running against one another.[43] On 29 January 2021 the alliance launched its manifesto.[44] The party also revealed that it had begun talks with the F.A.S.T. party and Samoa National Democratic Party (who are already in a formal alliance) to form a "grand coalition" to oust the government.[45]