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

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

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 in 2011. He was the son of former

Prime Minister of Samoa The prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa () is the head of government of Independent State of Samoa, Samoa. The prime minister is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa, Legislative Assembly, and is appointed by the O le Ao o ...

Tofilau Eti Alesana Tofilau Eti Alesana (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 B ...

. His sister,

Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow is a Samoan politician and former Cabinet of Samoa, Cabinet Minister. She is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party. Gatoloaifaana is the daughter of former Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana. She was ...

, has remained a member of the ruling

Human Rights Protection Party The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP, ) 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 Tuilaepa Sailele ...

. Alesana was elected President of the opposition Tautua Samoa Party 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 21st-century Samoan politicians Tautua Samoa Party politicians Year of birth missing