1976 Western Samoan general election

1976 Western Samoan general election

← 1973 21 February 1976 1979 →
All 47 seats in the Fono
First party   Party Independents Last election 47 seats Seats won 47 Seat change
Prime Minister before election Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV Acting Independent Subsequent Prime Minister Tupuola Efi Independent

Politics of Samoa
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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.^[1] Following the election, Tupuola Efi became Prime Minister.

Campaign[]

A total of 169 candidates contested the 47 seats. Four seats had only one candidate, who was returned unopposed.^[2]

Results[]

Of the 36 incumbent MLAs contesting the elections, only 14 were re-elected. Ministers and were amongst those losing their seats.^[3]

Aftermath[]

The election result in where 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.^[4]

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.^[3] Efi appointed a nine-member cabinet, while Lealofi resigned from the Assembly and was elected to the Council of Deputies.^[3]

See also[]

• List of members of the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa (1976–1979)

References[]