Va'ai Papu Vailupe
Va'ai Papu Vailupe | |
---|---|
Leader of the Tautua Samoa Party | |
In office 22 December 2010 – 19 May 2011 | |
Deputy | Palusalue Faʻapo II |
Preceded by | None (party established) |
Succeeded by | Palusalue Faʻapo II |
Minister of Agriculture | |
In office 1998 – 20 March 2001 | |
Prime Minister | Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi |
Succeeded by | Tuisugaletaua Sofara Aveau |
Minister of Justice | |
In office 18 May 1996 – 3 June 1998 | |
Prime Minister | Tofilau Eti Alesana |
Preceded by | |
Succeeded by | |
Member of the Samoan Parliament for Vaisigano No.1 | |
In office 31 March 2006 – 2 May 2011 | |
Preceded by | |
Succeeded by | |
Member of the Samoan Parliament for Falealupo | |
In office 5 April 1991 – 2 March 2001 | |
Preceded by | A'eau Peniamina |
Succeeded by | A'eau Peniamina |
Personal details | |
Born | Western Samoa Trust Territory |
Died | 17 January 2022 New Zealand |
Political party | Human Rights Protection Party Tautua Samoa Party |
Va'ai Papu Vailupe (died 17 January 2022), also known as Mafasolia Papu Vailupe,[1] was a Samoan politician and accountant who served as a Cabinet Minister. He was the leader of the Tautua Samoa Party from 2010 to 2011.[2] His father is former Prime Minister Va'ai Kolone, who co-founded the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP).[3] His younger brother Asiata Sale'imoa Va'ai is leader of the Samoan Democratic United Party.[4]
Political career[]
Va'ai was first elected to the Samoan Legislative Assembly at the 1991 election.[1] In 1996 he served as Parliamentary Undersecretary for Works, EPC, and the Water Authority.[1] After being re-elected in 1996, he was appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Justice.[5] Between 1998 and 2001, he served as Minister of Agriculture.[1] He lost his seat in the 2001 election.[6]
He ran as an independent in his father's old seat of Vaisigano No.1 in the 2006 election. Shortly before the election he was shot in the neck in a politically-motivated shooting.[7] His political rival A'eau Peniamina later denied responsibility for the shooting.[8] Following the election he asked to join the Human Rights Protection Party,[9] but was unsuccessful. In April 2008 he agreed with other independent MPs to form a new political party.[10]
In December 2008 he became a founding member of the Tautua Samoa Party.[11] As a result, in May 2009 he was one of nine Tautua MPs declared to have resigned their seats under an anti-party hopping law.[12] He was subsequently reinstated after the Supreme Court of Samoa overturned the law and declared the formation of new parties legal.[13]
In January 2010 new anti-party-hopping laws came into force, barring MPs from declaring their support for political parties or organizations with political aims other than the party they were elected for.[14] In March 2010, he joined Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi and Palusalue Fa’apo II in formally declaring his membership of the party and so was deemed to have resigned his seat.[15] However, the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) was unable to find a candidate for the resulting by-election, and on 2 May 2010 he was declared elected unopposed,[16] becoming the first non-HRPP MP to win a by-election.[17] In December 2010 he was appointed leader of the Tautua party.[2]
Vailupe was re-elected in the 2011 election, but the result was overturned by an electoral petition, which disqualified him for bribery and treating.[18] He was subsequently charged with thirteen counts of bribery.[19] In May 2012 he was convicted on two counts of bribery and one of treating,[20] and fined US$2500.[21]
Later life and death[]
In the wake of the 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis Va'ai denounced the HRPP and its campaign against Samoa's judiciary.[22]
Vaai died in New Zealand on 17 January 2022.[23][24]
References[]
- ^ a b c d "Va'ai Papu Vailupe". Legislative Assembly of Samoa. Archived from the original on 1 October 2006. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Va'ai Papu chosen as Tautua Samoa leader". RNZ. 22 December 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (13 June 2021). "H.R.P.P. reputation ruined: former Minister". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "'I've lost a friend'". Samoa Observer. 3 September 2010. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
- ^ "Samoa Justice Department Combined Annual Report 1984 -1999" (PDF). Samoa Justice Department. p. 5. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "SAMOA FACING INSTABILITY AS ELECTION PRODUCES INCONCLUSIVE RESULT". Pacific Islands Report. 4 March 2001. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Samoan man in custody after shooting of former cabinet minister". RNZ. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Samoan MP denies involvement in shooting of another politician". RNZ. 5 December 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Samoa government decides today whether to accept membership applications from two independents". RNZ. 19 April 2006. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Independent MPs in Samoa to form a new political party". RNZ. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ Alan Ah Mu (17 December 2008). "Tautua Samoa officially launched". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
- ^ "SAMOA MPS DISQUALIFIED, MUST FACE BY-ELECTION". Pacific Islands Report. 2 June 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Samoa court reinstates nine MPs, cancels by-elections". RNZ. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Samoa passes bill following last year's Tautua Samoa episode". RNZ. 22 January 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ Alan Ah Mu (18 March 2010). "Va'ai springs election shock". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
- ^ "Samoa by-elections reduced to two contests". RNZ. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ Alan Ah Mu (2 May 2010). "Fear tactic failed: Va'ai". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ "Tautua Samoa party leader found guilty of bribery and treating". RNZ. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ "Tautua Samoa former leader faces bribery charges in criminal court". RNZ. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Former Samoa opposition leader found guilty of bribery". RNZ. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Former opposition leader in Samoa escapes jail pay fine for bribery and treating charges". RNZ. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (7 August 2021). "Vaʻai Kolone's son rails modern H.R.P.P." Samoa Observer. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ Marc Membrere (17 January 2022). "Former M.P. Vaai Papu Vaai passes on". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (18 January 2022). "Parliament pays tribute to M.P.s who passed on". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- 20th-century births
- 2022 deaths
- Members of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa
- Government ministers of Samoa
- Human Rights Protection Party politicians
- Tautua Samoa Party politicians
- Samoan politicians convicted of crimes