Legislative Assembly of Samoa Fono Aoao Faitulafono a Samoa
18th Parliament
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	1 January 1962 (1962-01-01)
Leadership
O le Ao o le Malo	Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II since 21 July 2017
Speaker	Auapaʻau Mulipola Aloitafua, FAST since 16 September 2025
Deputy Speaker	Afamasaga Leone Mati, FAST since 16 September 2025
Prime Minister	Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt, FAST since 16 September 2025
Leader of the Opposition	Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, HRPP since 5 July 2023[1]
Structure
Seats	51
Political groups	Government (30)  FAST (30) Official opposition (14)  HRPP (14) Others (6)  SUP (3)  Independents (3) Vacant (1)   Vacant (1)
Length of term	Up to 5 years
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
Last election	29 August 2025
Next election	By 2030
Meeting place
Maota, Tiafau,Apia[2]
Website
www.palemene.ws

TheLegislative Assembly (Samoan:Fono Aoao Faitulafono a Samoa), also known as theParliament of Samoa (Samoan:Palemene o Samoa), is the nationallegislature ofSamoa, seated atApia, where the country's central administration is situated. Samoan Parliament is composed of two parts: theO le Ao o le Malo (head of state) and the Legislative Assembly. The 18th Parliament was inaugurated on 16 September 2025.^[3]

In theSamoan language, the Legislative Assembly of Samoa is sometimes referred to as theSamoan Fono while thegovernment of the country is referred to as theMalo. The wordfono is a Samoan and Polynesian term for councils or meetings great and small and applies to national assemblies and legislatures, as well as local village councils.

The modern government of Samoa exists on a national level alongside the country'sfa'amatai indigenous chiefly system of governance and social organisation.^[4] TheO le Ao o le Malo can summon and call together the Legislative Assembly, and can prorogue or dissolve Parliament, in order to either end a parliamentary session or call a general election on behalf of thePrime Minister of Samoa.

The Samoan Fono is descended from the Western Samoan Legislative Assembly established under New Zealand rule in the early 1900s. On the country's political independence in 1962, the 5th Legislative Assembly became the1st Western Samoan Parliament.^[5]

The Samoan Constitution provides the Legislative Assembly to make laws for the whole or any part of Samoa and laws having effect outside as wellas within Samoa. Any Member of Parliament may introduce any bill or propose any motion for debate in the Assembly or present any petition tothe Assembly, and the same shall be considered and disposed of under the provisions of the Standing Orders.

Members of Parliament possessparliamentary privilege and immunities.

The Legislative Assembly can be dissolved or prorogue by theO le Ao o le Malo, with the advice of the Prime Minister.

Prior to a 2019 constitutional amendment, the SamoanFono had 49 Members of Parliament. These were elected in six two-seat and 35 single-seatconstituencies. Of these 49 seats, 47 were legally reserved for traditional heads of families (matai) and two for special constituencies: These two seats were first reserved for Samoan citizens descended from non-Samoans (so-called 'individual constituencies') and elected on a non-territorial basis until the 2015 constitutional amendment after which these were replaced with specific 'urban constituencies'.^[6] These 'urban constituencies' were only in place for the2016 general election and were then abolished by the 2019 amendment ahead of thenext general election. Following this amendment, each electoral constituency elects one member, totalling 51 members of parliament.^[7][8]

An extra Member of Parliament was added after the 2016 election in order to meet the quota of 10% female MPs.^[9]

Members of Parliament in Samoa are directly elected by universal suffrage, and serve a five-year term.

The ceremonial Head of State orO le Ao o le Malo is elected for a five-year term by the Fono. O le Ao o le Malo is limited to a maximum of 2 terms.

Elections are held under asimple plurality system. Samoan electors are divided into 51 single memberconstituencies.Electors must be Samoan citizens and aged over 21.^[10] Candidates must be qualified as electors, and are required hold amatai title.^[11]

The official vote count was completed on 4 September. FAST secured a majority of seats, winning 30, while the HRPP won 14. The SUP won three seats, while independents secured four.^[12] Most of Mata‘afa's cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio, lost their seats.^[13] Parliamentary Speaker Papaliʻi Liʻo Taeu Masipau of FAST also lost re-election.^[14] Five women won seats, one short of the six required to fulfil the female quota. The electoral commissioner announced that an additional female member would not be appointed to parliament until after the conclusion of post-election legal challenges.^[15]

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi	36,708	40.86	30	+5
	Human Rights Protection Party	33,040	36.78	14	–11
	Samoa Uniting Party	7,746	8.62	3	New
	Samoa Labour Party	1,042	1.16	0	New
	Tumua ma Pule Reform Republican Party	42	0.05	0	New
	Constitution Democracy Republic Party	25	0.03	0	New
	Independents	11,232	12.50	4	+3
Total		89,835	100.00	51	0
Valid votes		89,835	99.37
Invalid/blank votes		568	0.63
Total votes		90,403	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		101,981	88.65
Source:OEC,OEC,OEC,Samoa Observer (seats)

One candidate was elected unopposed:^[16]

The Legislative Assembly is currently in its 17th session, its convention did not occur until several months after the2021 Samoan general election was held, due to the2021 Samoan constitutional crisis. The 17th parliament convened for the first time on 14 September 2021.^[17]

The Fono is housed in a beehive-shaped building based on the traditionalSamoan fale.

• Electoral Constituencies of Samoa
• List of speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa
• Politics of Samoa
• List of legislatures by country

• Official website

• 1962 establishments in Samoa
• Parliaments by country
• Government of Samoa
• National legislatures
• Politics of Samoa
• Political organisations based in Samoa
• Unicameral legislatures

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