Vaʻai Kolone

Vaʻai Kolone (11 November 1911 – 20 April 2001) was the fourth prime minister of Samoa and a founder of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) in Samoa. He served as Prime Minister twice, first between 13 April and 18 September 1982, and then from 30 December 1985 until 8 April 1988.

The Honourable
Vaʻai Kolone
4th Prime Minister of Western Samoa
In office
30 December 1985 – 8 April 1988
O le Ao o le MaloMalietoa Tanumafili II
DeputyTupuola Efi
Preceded byTofilau Eti Alesana
Succeeded byTofilau Eti Alesana
In office
13 April 1982 – 18 September 1982
O le Ao o le MaloMalietoa Tanumafili II
Preceded byTupuola Efi
Succeeded byTupuola Efi
2nd Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
30 December 1985 – 8 April 1988
Preceded byTofilau Eti Alesana
Succeeded byTofilau Eti Alesana
In office
13 April 1982 – 18 September 1982
Preceded byTupuola Efi
Succeeded byTupuola Efi
Member of the Samoan Parliament
for Vaisigano No. 1
In office
February 1983 – 2 March 2001
Preceded byVacant
Succeeded byMasoe Filisi
In office
25 February 1967 – 18 September 1982
Preceded byTupuola Efi
Succeeded byVacant
Personal details
Born(1911-11-11)11 November 1911
Vaisala, Savaiʻi, German Samoa
Died20 April 2001(2001-04-20) (aged 89)
Apia, Samoa
Political partyHuman Rights Protection Party

Biography

He was from Vaisala village on Savai'i island in the political district of Vaisigano.

Kolone was first elected to parliament, the Legislative Assembly of Samoa, in 1967 representing the electorate of Vaisigano No. 1.[1] In 1979, together with Tofilau Eti Alesana he founded the Human Rights Protection Party to oppose the government of Tupuola Efi. The HRPP won 24 seats in the 1982 election, and Kolone was appointed Prime Minister. However, an election petition stripped him of his seat shortly afterwards due to bribery charges and he was forced to resign.[2] The party would go on to rule Samoa until 2021.[3] Tupuola Efi was appointed Prime Minister and served until Kolone regained his seat in the subsequent by-election. In the meantime Tofilau Eti Alesana had been elected leader of the HRPP and served as Prime Minister for the rest of the parliamentary term.

Kolone resigned from the HRPP after failing to regain the party leadership after the 1985 election.[4] However, in late 1985 11 HRPP Members of Parliament defected to form a coalition government with the then-opposition Christian Democratic Party. Kolone was elected Prime Minister on 30 December, with Efi as his deputy. The coalition was later formalised as the Samoan National Development Party.[5] He subsequently led the SNDP in the 1991 election, gaining 14 seats.

His sons Va'ai Papu Vailupe and Asiata Sale'imoa Va'ai also became members of Parliament.[6][7]

References
  1. Samoan election results by constituency 1964–2016 Samoa Election Results Database
  2. More Than 20 Years of Political Stability in Samoa under the Human Rights Protection Party, Asofou So’o, Globalisation and Governance in the Pacific Islands
  3. "Outgoing Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi Gives Farewell Speech". Samoa Global News. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Stephanie Lawson, Tradition Versus Democracy in the South Pacific: Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa, p. 148
  6. Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (13 June 2021). "H.R.P.P. reputation ruined: former Minister". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  7. "'I've lost a friend'". Samoa Observer. 3 September 2010. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
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