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Papaliʻi Poumau
Papaliʻi Asiata Fauatea Poumau MBE was a Western Samoan politician. He served as Minister for Education between 1964 and 1967. BiographyA former court interpreter and registrar in the Land and Titles Court,[1] Poumau worked in the Western Samoa Public Service Commission,[2] later becoming Resident Commissioner of Savaiʻi. In 1958 he became the first Samoan to represent New Zealand at the South Pacific Commission.[3] He was made an MBE in the 1961 New Year Honours.[4] In February 1961 he was appointed as the Samoan administrator of the referendum on independence and a new constitution.[5] After retiring from the civil service,[2] he contested the Faʻasaleleaga No. 2 constituency in the 1964 general elections, defeating incumbent MLA Tuilagi Simi by 68 votes to 63.[6] Following the elections, he was surprisingly appointed Minister for Education by Prime Minister Fiame Mataʻafa.[1] However, he lost his seat in the 1967 elections,[7] losing to Leilua Iuliano by 78 votes to 64.[6] He ran again in the 1970 elections, but finished fourth out of five candidates with only eleven votes.[6] Poumau died in New Zealand in the early 1970s.[2] References
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