Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa

The Honourable Afioga

Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa in 2024
7th Prime Minister of Samoa
Assumed office
24 May 2021[a]
O le Ao o le MaloTuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II
DeputyTuala Iosefo Ponifasio
Preceded byTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Leader of Faokinaatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi
Assumed office
9 March 2021
DeputyLaauli Leuatea Polataivao
Preceded byLaauli Leuatea Polataivao
Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa
In office
19 March 2016 – 11 September 2020
Prime MinisterTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Preceded byFonotoe Pierre Lauofo
Succeeded byTuala Iosefo Ponifasio (2021)
Other offices held
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
In office
3 June 2021 – 20 October 2021
Preceded byToeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster[b]
Succeeded byToeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster
In office
19 March 2016 – 11 September 2020
Prime MinisterTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Preceded byFaamoetauloa Ulaitino Faale Tumaalii
Succeeded byTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Deputy Leader of the Human Rights Protection Party
In office
6 March 2016 – 11 September 2020
LeaderTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Preceded byFonotoe Pierre Lauofo
Succeeded byFonotoe Pierre Lauofo
Minister of Justice
In office
21 March 2011 – 18 March 2016
Prime MinisterTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Preceded byUnasa Mesi Galo
Succeeded byFaaolesa Katopau Ainuu
Minister of Women, Community and Social Development
In office
24 April 2006 – 21 March 2011
Prime MinisterTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Preceded byTuala Ainiu Iusitino
Succeeded byTolofuaivalelei Falemoe Lei ʻ ataua
Minister of Education
In office
15 May 1991 – 24 April 2006
Prime MinisterTofilau Eti Alesana
Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Succeeded byToomata Alapati Poese
Member of the Samoan Parliament
for Lotofaga
Assumed office
22 February 1985
Preceded byAsiasiau Sausoo
Personal details
Born
Naomi Mataʻafa

(1957-04-29) 29 April 1957 (age 67)
Apia, Western Samoa Trust Territory (now Samoa)
Political partyFaʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations		Human Rights Protection Party (before 2020)
Independent (2020–2021)
RelativesMata ʻ afa Faumuina Mulinu ʻ u II (father)
Laulu Fetauimalemau Mata ʻ afa (mother)
EducationVictoria University of Wellington

Fiame Naomi Mataʻafa (born 1957)[1] is a Samoan politician and High Chiefess (matai). Mataʻafa is the first female Prime Minister of Samoa, after winning a majority in the 2021 general election.[2] She is the leader of the Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party. She was Samoa's first female Cabinet Minister, and from 2016 to 2020 was Samoa's first female Deputy Prime Minister.

On 24 May 2021, Mataʻafa had herself sworn in as Prime Minister of Samoa, while the incumbent, Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, did not want to say he lost.[3] This has caused her leadership to be disputed.[4] The crisis was resolved by Samoa's Court of Appeal on 23 July 2021, which ruled that Mataʻafa had been prime minister since 24 May.[5][6][7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Disputed: 24 May 2021 – 23 July 2021
  2. ↑ Disputed with Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi

References

  1. ↑ "Hon. Fiame Naomi Mataʻafa". RNZ. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  2. ↑ "Fiame Naomi Mataafa: Samoa set to appoint first female PM". AlJazerra. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "Samoa incumbent leader rejects first female Prime Minister's swearing in as 'treason'". RNZ. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "How Samoa's political crisis unfolded". Reuters. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  5. ↑ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (23 July 2021). "F.A.S.T. declared new Government as appeal upheld". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Faa, Marian; Fennell, Jordan (23 July 2021). "Samoa welcomes first female Prime Minister following court ruling, but not without challenges". ABC News. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  7. ↑ "Samoa's political crisis ends and first female prime minister installed after court ruling". The Guardian. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.