Who will be the successor?

Dev Nadkarni
The passing of Malietoa Tanumafili II truly marks the end of an era in the modern history of Samoa—and indeed Polynesia.

Lying in state in parliament... the passing of the Malietoa Tanumafili II marks the end of an era. Photo: Lance Polu

The world’s third longest reigning head of state (after the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, and Queen Elizabeth II), he was the world’s oldest national leader to be in office at the time of his death in Apia last month.

More Pictures of the funeral

Malietoa Tanumafili II

Born on January 4, 1913 as the third child to Tanumafili I and Momoe Lupeuluiva Meleisea, he straddled his nation’s pre-and post-independence history in the manner of a colossus whose footprints are permanently etched in his people’s psyche: Samoans under the age of 45 have known no other head of state for he has reigned ever since the country’s independence in 1962, and has often been referred to as the ‘father’ of modern Samoa.

Malietoa began his early education at the government Leififi School in Samoa. He then went to New Zealand to pursue his higher education at St. Stephen’s College and Wesley College in Pukekohe, outside Auckland. He was an active athlete and was a pugilist besides being devoted to rugby and cricket. But his abiding sporting interest was golf, which he played well into his nineties. Many Samoans will remember seeing him drive around in his golf cart.

He succeeded to the hallowed title of Malietoa at the age of 26 in 1939 after his father’s death; and in the middle of an active political career in the service of the people of Samoa, was made joint head of state, titled O le Ao o le Malo, when Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962.

Until independence, four paramount chiefs—one of them being the holder of the Malietoa title—dominated politics in the island state, many times competing with one another. But on the eve of independence, a brilliant political compromise was fashioned out where the holders of the four paramount chiefly titles—rivals in effect—would share power.

Malietoa Tanumafili’s two decade long stint as a paramount chief gave him a clear edge over the others as the ultimate choice for head of state. The three other paramount chiefs were however given high honours. Tupua Tamasese shared Malietoa’s job with tenure to last a lifetime, the third chief became Prime Minister and the fourth was appointed to the Council of Deputies.

But the reign of his co-head of state, Tupua Tamasese Meaole, was short-lived. He died barely a year later in 1963, making Malietoa the sole head of state until his death last month.

Malietoa Tanumafili’s hearse... carried along the streets of Apia. Photos: Cherelle Jackson

Samoa’s strong tradition of oral history has it that the Malietoa title came as a result of the acknowledgement of the Samoan warriors’ superiority by Tongan occupiers. Two brave Samoan chiefs are said to have driven the occupiers away into the ocean and as they left Samoan shores, they are believed to have shouted ‘Malie tau, malie toa’ (meaning “well fought, brave warriors”).

A millennium later, Malietoa Tanumafili II very much lived up to that valiant title in the context of modern times. He was an astute statesman whose peaceful personality and conciliatory approach not just helped his nation tide over crisis situations, but his towering status defused many a potential tension even in the wider region.
He was undoubtedly the region’s most respected elder.

The very fact that though Samoa is the first Pacific island nation to gain independence it has almost never had the kind of political crises that its neighbours have routinely had after their own independence which came much later, is testimony to Malietoa’s benign influence over the affairs of his people.

Samoa is often referred to as the darling of the aid agencies being the most politically stable nation in the region whose economy has performed consistently, maintaining an impressive growth rate over the past several years.
Malietoa Tanumafili II won recognition well beyond the region. During her visit to Samoa in 1977 as part of her South Pacific tour onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth II presented him with the Collar Badge and Star of the GCMG, the Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. He was also bestowed the title of Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire during his life.

He was a follower of one of the world’s newest faiths—the Baha’i Faith. He was the second head of state ever to be a member of that religion. He dedicated the impressive Baha’i House of Worship at Tiapapata, outside Apia. It happens to be the only Baha’i place of worship in the Oceania region.

Malietoa’s passing means a new head of state will have to be appointed—and someone has to be nominated to succeed him in the Malietoa title.

While the latter may take years to be worked out and agreed upon, the appointment of the next head of state will come much sooner.

It is widely expected that Tuitua Tupua Tamasese Efi, a former prime minister of Samoa, will be conferred the role by the Fono—the country’s legislative assembly. Unlike Malietoa Tanumafili II, whose term of head of state was life long, the new head of state’s rule as well as that of all subsequent appointments to the position will run for a fixed term of five years.

There has never been agreement on whether Samoa is a monarchy or a republic, especially since its constitution is silent on the issue. Some regarded Malietoa Tanumafili II as the nation’s monarch, addressing him with the royal appellation of His Highness. Adherents of this line of thought believe that with Malietoa’s death, the country ceased to be a monarchy and must fall under the definition of a republic.

The deaths of Fiji’s first prime minister, Ratu Kamisese Mara in 2004, Tonga’s King Taufa’ahau Tupou II last year and now Samoa’s Malietoa Tanumafili II, bring to an end the legendary era of three Polynesian giants and heads of state who influenced the course of history in their three countries for the better part of a century, right through the crucial phases of their independence.

Two other events, the deaths of Polynesian royals—The Maori Queen Te Atairangikaahu and the King of Wallis, Tomasi Kulimoetoke—who passed away within the last twelve months, have brought the curtain down on an era of Polynesian history.