Va'aelua Eti Alesana (died 30 September 2011) was a

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

and

opposition leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

who served as a founding member and President of the

Tautua Samoa Party ) , flag = , website tautuasamoaparty.com The Tautua Samoa Party ( sm, Vaega Faaupufai le Tautua Samoa) is a political party in Samoa. The party's policies include economic development, particularly in the agricultural sector, public service r ...

in 2011. He was the son of former Prime Minister of Samoa,

Tofilau Eti Alesana Tofilau Eti Alesana, AC, born Aualamalefalelima Alesana (4 June 1924 – 19 March 1999) was a Samoan politician who served as the fifth prime minister of Samoa from 1982 to 1985, and again from 1988 until his resignation in 1998. Biography ...

. His sister, Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow, has remained a member of the ruling Human Rights Protection Party. Alesana was elected President of the opposition

in February 2011, a post he held until his death later in the year. He opposed Prime Minister's Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi re-election bid in the March 2011 general election. However, Malielegaoi's was returned to office in the election. Va'aelua Eti Alesana died in Samoa on Friday, 30 September 2011. The leader of Tautua Samoa, Palusalue Fa’apo II, said that "We are really saddened by this. He has done so much for the party." Alesana was buried in his native village of Lalomalava, Savai'i. In his eulogy, Palusalue Fa’apo II told mourners, "Va'aelua always maintained a positive attitude and before the General Elections last March, he kept encouraging the Tautua Samoa members to stay positive, despite the odds being stacked against us."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eti Alesana, Va'aelua 2011 deaths Samoan politicians Tautua Samoa Party politicians Year of birth missing