Human Rights Protection Party

Human Rights Protection Party

Vaega Faaupufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata
Human Rights Protection Party Vaega Faaupufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata
Leader	Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi
Deputy Leader	Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo
Founded	May 1979
Ideology	Christian democracy ; Social conservatism ; Cultural conservatism
Political position	Centre to centre-right
Religion	Christianity
Colours	Blue
Legislative Assembly	20 / 53
Website
	Official website
	Politics of Samoa; Political parties; Elections;

The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP, Samoan: Vaega Faaupufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata) is a Samoan political party. It was founded in 1979 and dominated Samoan party politics for decades thereafter, leading every government until their defeat in 2021. Former prime minister Tuilaʻepa Sailele Malielegaoi has led the party since 1998.

History

Vaʻai Kolone and Tofilau Eti Alesana co-founded the party in May 1979 in opposition to the government of Tupuola Efi.^[4] It governed the country from first winning power in 1982 to 2021, except for a brief period in 1986 and 1987 when internal differences forced it into coalition.

The two founders of the early party, Kolone and Alesana, both became Prime Ministers of Samoa.

The U.S. State Department's 2010 human rights report (published on 8 April 2011) stated that the Human Rights Protection Party remained the only officially recognized party in the Legislative Assembly of Samoa^[5] (the Fono) as of that date.

After the April 2021 Samoan general election the HRPP refused to yield power to the newly elected government, triggering the 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis.^[6]^[7] The Court of Appeal ruled against the HRPP on 23 July 2021, allowing the opposition to belatedly take power.^[8]

In November 2022, MPs Ale Vena Ale and Tuʻuʻu Anasiʻi Leota resigned from the HRPP to become independents, saying they did not want to remain in a party led by a leader guilty of contempt of court.^[9]^[10]

Principles and policies

In June 2017, the Legislative Assembly passed a bill to increase support for Christianity in the country's constitution, including a reference to the Trinity in Article 1. According to The Diplomat, "What Samoa has done is shift references to Christianity into the body of the constitution, giving the text far more potential to be used in legal processes."^[11] The preamble to the constitution already described the country as "an independent State based on Christian principles and Samoan custom and traditions."^[11]

Electoral history

Legislative Assembly elections

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Rank	Status
1982	Vaʻai Kolone	3,482	29.3	24 / 47	New	1st	Government
1985	Tofilau Eti Alesana	4,698	34.5	32 / 47	8	1st	Government
1988		5,017	35.9	23 / 47	9	1st	Government
1991		34,262	44.8	27 / 47	4	1st	Government
1996		29,353	43.5	24 / 49	3	1st	Government
2001	Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi	34,262	44.8	23 / 49	1	1st	Government
2006		42,156	50.2	33 / 49	10	1st	Government
2011		48,771	55.6	29 / 49	4	1st	Government
2016		45,505	56.9	35 / 50	6	1st	Government
2021		49,237	55.4	25 / 51	10	1st	Official opposition

References

^ Marieta H Ilalio (23 April 2021). "HRPP Selects Fonotoe as Deputy Leader". Samoa Global News. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
^ Freedom House (2003). Freedom in the World 2003: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 475. ISBN 9780742528703.
^ Derbyshire, J. Denis; Derbyshire, Ian (1989). Political Systems Of The World. New Delhi: Allied Publishers. p. 123. ISBN 9788170233077.
^ Asofou So'o (2005). "The establishment and operation of Samoa's political party system". In Roland Rich, Luke Hambly and Michael G. Morgan (ed.). Political Parties in the Pacific Islands. Canberra: Pandanus Books. p. 189.
^ 2010 Human Rights Report: Samoa, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, April 8, 2011
^ Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (22 May 2021). "Head of State suspends Parliament". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 22 May 2021. Samoa has been thrown into a constitutional crisis
^ Jamie Tahana (22 May 2021). "Sitting of Samoa parliament cancelled; constitutional turmoil deepens". RNZ. Retrieved 22 May 2021. with the country now well engulfed in a constitutional crisis
^ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (23 July 2021). "F.A.S.T. declared new Government as appeal upheld". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (3 November 2022). "Tu'u'u and Ale resign from H.R.P.P." Samoa Observer. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
^ "Samoan opposition MPs quit party to become independents". RNZ. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b Wyeth, Grant (16 June 2017). "Samoa Officially Becomes a Christian State". The Diplomat. Retrieved 19 June 2017.