One party state a norm for Samoa: political observer

The preliminary results in the elections in Samoa have shown the influence the Human Rights Protection Party has in the country.

Majority of the seats in Parliament have been occupied by HRPP with only two seats to Tautua Samoa party.

This means there would be no opposition party at all, making Samoa a one party state. With that being said it is always a two way street.

Critics are saying Samoa being a one party state could be chaos as there would be no opposition to keep the government in check. While some experts are saying Samoa has been a one party state for some time anyway, technically.

Former press secretary and author of "The Mau" book Michael Field says it’s been the norm for some time.

"In reality Samoa has been a one party state for a while. You have to recall that when HRPP was founded, there were no other parties. Things before that had been pretty much done by a consensus of senior matai," he stated.

Prime Minister and HRPP leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi though has thanked the country for choosing HRPP to govern the nation for another five years.

"As leader, and on behalf of the Human Rights Protection Party, I would like to extend my gratitude to all of Samoa for the support, and the overwhelming vote of confidence in our vision for this country.

"I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge and commend the Leadership of the Opposition, the Tautua Party.  This has not been an easy journey, and I congratulate you for the commitment and effort to representing your constituency and your party with such dedication," he said.

Samoa's decisions at the polls though can’t be ignored. The country has favoured HRPP to be in power for the next 5 years and Mr. Field says, it’s just a sign of one country always choosing to be united.

"Over the years I’ve heard lots of discussion about that, and explanations. The simplest one I suspect is that over time Samoans have seen that things that are different are something of a threat to local order," he said.

"It is not as oppressive sounding as that however, it these days manifests itself into people wanting to be with the majority most of the time.

"I thought it might change with so many Samoans heading out into the world these days, but the HRPP story suggests it remains the same," he stated.

So what could this mean? Is Samoa’s political system just a small country trying to stay in the same lane for as long as it can to keep its unity?

     Source: Loop Samoa