Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
Prime Minister of Samoa
Incumbent
Assumed office  23 November 1998
President	Malietoa Tanumafili II Tufuga Efi
Preceded by	Tofilau Eti Alesana
Born	14 April 1945 (1945-04-14) (age 64) Lepa, Samoa
Political party	HRPP
Spouse	Gillian Muriel Malielegaoi
Religion	Roman Catholic

Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi (born 14 April 1945 in Lepa, Samoa) is the current Prime Minister of Samoa. He is an economist and was the first Samoan to get a masters degree  . He used to work for the European Economic Community and Coopers & Lybrand and was elected to the Samoan parliament in 1980.

Tuilaepa was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance under Tofilau Eti Alesana following the Human Rights Protection Party's return to power after the coalition government of Vaai and Tupua. For a while he was both Prime Minister and Minister of Finance after Tofialu stepped down from the Premiership. However, following a Cabinet reshuffle after the following elections in which he led the HRPP for an additional term, Tuilaepa relinquished the post of Minister of Finance to Misa Telefoni Retzlaff who also became the new Deputy Prime Minister.

The reason given for Tuilaepa's relinquishment of the Ministry of Finance was that it was due to the amount of responsibility and work involved being both Prime Minister and Minster of Finance and to do the job properly required a full time Minister. Tuilaepa has twice reassigned the Finance portfolio since that time.

Contents 1 Criticisms 2 Opposition to Fiji's Bainimarama 3 Sporting aspirations 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Criticisms

Tuilaepa was largely responsible for initiating major financial reforms in the early 1990s but in light of worsening macroeconomic indicators they appear to have achieved little.^{[clarification needed]}

As Prime Minister he has drawn Samoa more closely to China, accepting the construction of numerous government buildings by the Chinese. This policy has come under criticism for trading Samoa's hard won independence for a mess of pottage.^{[clarification needed]}

He has also introduced legislation aimed at eroding customary forms of land tenure, which has sometimes been viewed as impeding investment. Although these reforms are explicity at odds with the constitution they have not yet been tested in the courts.^{[citation needed]}

Tuilaepa has also come under fire for forcing the resignation of the attorney general resigned, reportedly putting her under intense pressure over her handling of a case involving an election fraud charge against a former government minister.^{[citation needed]}

Tuilaepa's government has also passed highly controversial legislation to switch Samoan road use from right to left-hand drive.^[1][2] The controversy resulted in a peaceful demonstration which drew more than 15,000 people^{[citation needed]}, the largest protest demonstration in Samoan history^[1], and to the founding of the People's Party, a political party established to protest against changing sides^[3][4]. Tuilaepa's handling of this episode has led many to complain of his being out of touch or arrogant.^{[citation needed]} However, it is widely believed that at 63 years of age and after more than 10 years in power Tuilaepa is simply tired.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Opposition to Fiji's Bainimarama

Tuilaepa has emerged as one of Oceania's most vocal critics of Fijian interim leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who came to power in the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. Tuilaepa has stated that Bainimarama has shown little respect for the opinions of regional Pacific leaders.^[5] Tuilaepa has said that Bainimarama's actions since the 2006 coup have shown that Bainimarama has no intentions of returning Fiji to democratic rule or holding transparent, free elections.^[5] Tuilaepa cites numerous actions by Bainimarama to back up his criticisims, including rescinding assurances to leaders at a regional meeting in Tonga that elections would be held in May 2008.^[5] He has also criticized Bainimarama as a "no-show" at regional meetings of the Pacific Islands Forum in Niue and Papua New Guinea.^[5] Tuileapa has said that Bainimarama's failure to compromise, hold democratic elections and meet with regional leaders is not the "Pacific way."^[5]

In a February 2009 continuation of the war of words between Bainimarama and Tuilaepa, Commodore Bainimarama accused Samoa's foreign policy of being dictated by New Zealand.^[5] He also accused Tuilaepa of being "un-Pacific".^[5] Tuilaepa fired back, questioning whether Bainimarama was sober when he made these claims and reiterating that Bainimarama shows little respect for Pacific leaders.^[5]

[edit] Sporting aspirations

Prime Minister Tuilaepa competed for his country at the 2007 South Pacific Games in the sport of target archery.^[6] In participating in the Games, the Prime Minister became the first elected leader to represent his country at a multi-sport event.

Having taken up the sport only five months prior to the Games, Tuilaepa was ranked second in Samoa in the combined bow discipline. The Prime Minister's son was also a reserve team member.^[6]

On day 10 of the Games, Tuilaepa won a silver medal in the mixed recurve team play event.^[7]

[edit] External links

• Office of the Samoan Prime Minister
• Prime Minister Tuila’epa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi's address to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 26, 2008
• Freedom in the World - Samoa (2007), February 8, 2009
• Debating the stupid hand drive, November 30, 2007
• Samoa govt unmoved by right hand drive protest, December 18, 2007

[edit] References

Political offices
Preceded by Tofilau Eti Alesana	Prime Minister of Samoa 1998 – present	Incumbent

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Samoa Mata'afa Mulinu’u II · Lealofi IV · Mata'afa Mulinu’u II · Lealofi IV (acting) · Tufuga Efi · Kolone · Tufuga Efi · Alesana · Kolone · Alesana · Tuilaepa