Constitution of Samoa 1960, as amended to 2020
National level
  • English

    (1) Subject to the provisions of this Article, the Legislative Assembly shall consist of one member elected for each of 51 electoral constituencies having names, and comprising of villages or sub-villages as are prescribed from time to time by Act.
    (1A) Subject to this Article, women Members of the Legislative Assembly shall:
    (a) consist of a minimum of 10% of the Members of the Legislative Assembly specified under clause (1) which for the avoidance of doubt is presently five (5); and
    (b) be elected pursuant to clause (1) or become additional Members pursuant to clause (1B), (1D) or (1E).
    (1B) If, following any general election:
    (a) all members elected under clause (1) are men, the prescribed number of women candidates (if any) with the highest number of votes shall become additional Members; or
    (b) less than the prescribed number of women candidates are elected under clause (1), the remaining prescribed number of women candidates (if any) with the highest number of votes shall become additional Members for the purposes of clause (1A).
    (1C) Clause (1B) does not apply if the prescribed number of women are all elected under clause (1).
    (1D) If the seat of an additional Member becomes vacant, it shall, despite Article 48, be filled by the woman candidate (if any) who has the next highest number of votes at the last election or general election.
    (1E) Subject to Article 48, if a seat under clause (1) held by a woman becomes vacant, to which a man is elected to fill that vacant seat, the woman candidate (if any) with the highest number of votes from that election or the last election or general election shall become the additional Member.
    (1F) If, in the selection of the required number of women under clause (1B), (1D) or (1E), two (2) or more candidates have equal number of votes, the additional Member shall be selected by lot before the Electoral Commissioner with the presence of the candidates or their authorised representatives and at least two (2) police officers.
    (1G) If a woman candidate becomes an additional Member of a constituency (irrespective of a woman candidate being elected to that constituency), no other woman candidate from the same constituency shall become an additional Member unless there is no other woman candidate from any other constituency to make up the required prescribed number.
    …
    (5) In this Article, unless the context otherwise requires:
    “Additional Member” means a woman who is a Member of Parliament by virtue of clause (1B), (1D), or (1E) for the purposes of clause (1A);
    “Highest number of votes” means the percentage of the total valid votes in a constituency polled by a woman candidate;
    “Prescribed number” means the minimum number of woman Members of Parliament specified under clause (1A). (Art. 44)

  • Samoan

    (1) I le noatia ma le fai fuafua i aiaiga o lenei Mataupu, o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono, e tatau ona aofia ai le sui usufono e toatasi ua filifilia mo itumalo faiga palota taitasi e 51 ua i ai igoa, ma e aofia ai nuu po o pitonuu e pei ona faatonuina mai lea taimi i lea taimi e le Tulafono.
    (1A) I le noatia ma le fai fuafua i lenei Mataupu, e tatau i Sui Usufono tamaitai o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono ona:
    (a) aofia ai se fuainumera maualalo a itiiti mai e 10% o Sui Usufono o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono ua faamaoti mai i lalo o le fuaiupu (1) lea e mo le aveesea ai o se tulaga masalomia, e toalima (5) o lo o i ai i le taimi nei; ma
    (e) ia filifilia e tusa ai ma le fuaiupu (1) po o ia avea ai ma Sui Usufono faaopoopo e tusa ai ma le fuaiupu (1E), (1O) po o le (1U).
    (1E) Afai, i le maea ai o so o se faiga palota aoao:
    (a) o sui usufono uma ua filifilia i lalo o le fuaiupu (1) o alii, o le aofai faatonuina o sui tamaitai (pe afai e iai) e maua le fuainumera aupito i maualuga o palota, e tatau ona avea ma Sui Usufono faaopoopo; po o
    (e) e itiiti ifo mai le aofai faatonuina o sui tamaitai ua filifilia i lalo o le fuaiupu (1), o le aofai faatonuina o sui tamaitai o lo o totoe (pe afai e i ai) e maua le fuainumera aupito i maualuga o palota, e tatau ona avea ma Sui Usufono faaopoopo mo faamoemoega o le fuaiupu (1A).
    (1I) E lē faaaogāina le fuaiupu (1E) pe afai ua filifilia uma le aofai faatonuina o tamaitai i lalo o le fuaiupu (1).
    (1O) Afai ua avanoa le nofoa o se Sui Usufono faaopoopo, e tatau, e ui lava i le Mataupu 48, ona faatumuina e se sui tamaitai (pe afai e i ai) o ia lea na ia maua le fuainumera maualuga e sosoo atu i ai o palota i le faiga palota po o le faiga palota aoao talu ai.
    (1U) I le noatia ma le fai fuafua i le Mataupu 48, afai ua avanoa se nofoa sa umia e se tamaitai i lalo o le fuaiupu (1), lea ua filifilia i ai se alii na te faatumuina lea nofoa, o le sui tamaitai (pe afai e i ai) na ia maua le fuainumera aupito i maualuga o palota mai lea faiga palota po o le faiga palota talu ai po o le faiga palota aoao, e tatau ona avea ma Sui Usufono faaopoopo.
    (1F) Afai, i le filifiliga o le fuainumera manaomia o tamaitai i lalo o le fuaiupu (1E), (1O) po o le (1U), e toalua (2) po o le sili atu foi o sui faatutu e tutusa le aofai o palota na maua, e tatau ona filifili le Sui Usufono faaopoopo e ala i le faia o se sei i luma o le Komesina o Faiga Palota i le auai ai o sui faatutu po o o latou sui faatagaina ma a itiiti mai e toalua (2) leoleo.
    (1G) Afai e avea se sui faatu tamaitai ma Sui Usufono faaopoopo o se itumalo faaalaalafaga (e aunoa ma le amanaiaina o le filifilia o se sui faatu tamaitai i lea itumalo faaalaalafaga), e lē tatau ona avea se isi sui faatu tamaitai mai le itumalo faaalaalafaga lava lea ma Sui Usufono faaopoopo seia vagana ai e le o i ai se isi sui faatu tamaitai mai se isi lava itumalo faaalaalafaga e atoa ai le fuainumera faatonuina manaomia.
    …
    (5) I totonu o lenei Mataupu, seia vagana ai ua manaomia e le mataupu se isi uiga e ese ai:
    “Sui Usufono Faaopoopo” o lona uiga o se tamaitai o ia lea o se Sui Usufono o le Palemene e tusa ai o le fuaiupu (1E), (1O) po o le (1U) mo faamoemoega o le fuaiupu (1A);
    “Fuainumera aupito maualuga o palota” o lona uiga o le pasene o le aofaiga atoa o palota aloaia a se itumalo faaalaalafaga na mauaina e se sui faatu tamaitai;
    “Aofaiga faatonuina” o lona uiga o le fuainumera aupito i maualalo o Sui Usufono tamaitai o le Palemene ua faamaoti mai i lalo o le fuaiupu (1A). (Mataupu 44)

1

Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa 1960, as amended to 2019 (English), available in HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated Library (2024); Amendment to the Constitution 2020 (English), available in HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated Library (2024).

2

Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa 1960, as amended to 2019 (Samoan), available in HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated Library (2024); Amendment to the Constitution 2020 (Samoan), available in HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated Library (2024).

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