General elections were held in
Western Samoa on 25 February 1967. All candidates ran as independents and voting was restricted to
Matai and citizens of European origin ("individual voters"), with the Matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. Following the election,
Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II remained Prime Minister.
Campaign
A total of 126 candidates contested the 45 Samoan seats, with five running in the individual voter seats.
Although voting was restricted to ''matais'', the ability of traditional chiefs to create new matai led to significant changes in voter demographics in some areas, with the number of ''matais'' more than doubling since 1961. In
Vaisigano No. 1 constituency, the number of ''matais'' increased from 139 in 1965 to over 1,400 by the 1967 elections. Trucks had been sent out to collect people and register them as ''matai'', including many women, who were traditionally rarely made ''matai''.
[
]
Results
Sixteen MLAs lost their seats, including Minister of Education Papali'i Poumau
Papali'i Asiata Fauatea Poumau was a Western Samoan politician. He served as Minister for Education between 1964 and 1967.
Biography
A former court interpreter and registrar in the Land and Titles Court,[Afoafouvale Misimoa
Afioga Afoafouvale Misimoa (25 September 1900 – 18 February 1971), also known by his European name Harry William Moors, was a Western Samoan businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly in two spells between ...]
in Palauli East
Palauli is a district and village of Samoa, with a population (2016 Census) of 9,300. It consists of two sections on the southern side of Savai'i. The capital is Vailoa which is also referred to as Vailoa i Palauli (Vailoa in Palauli district) ...
and Tufuga Efi in Vaisigano No. 1.Upsets in Western Samoan election
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', March 1967, p11
Aftermath
Following the elections, members of the Legislative Assembly elected
Magele Ate
Magele Tagaileono Ate Penn (26 June 1921 – 26 May 1982) was a Western Samoan politician. He served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1967 to 1973.
Biography
Ate worked for the New Zealand Reparation Estates. He originally had 'Eur ...
as
Speaker and
Tuala Paulo
Tuala Paulo (died 1979) was a Western Samoan journalist and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly between 1964 and 1973 and as Minister of Education and Minister of Justice during the early 1970s.
Biography
Paulo worke ...
as Deputy Speaker.
[ Fiame Mata'afa was re-elected as Prime Minister, and formed an eight-member cabinet on 17 March, including three new ministers, ]Luamanuvae Eti
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
...
, Lesatele Rapi
Afioga Lesatele Rapi (died December 1979) was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly and served in the cabinet three times between 1967 and his death.
Biography
Rapi was elected to the Legislative As ...
and Tuaopepe Tame.[Mata'afa will lead independent Western Samoa for third term]
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', April 1967, p9
See also
*
References
External links
Samoan election results by constituency 1964–2016
Samoa Election Results Database
{{Samoan elections
Western Samoa
General
Elections in Samoa
Non-partisan elections
Western Samoa
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results