Samoa’s Price for 25 Years of Political Stability

Abstract

Samoa has a distinctive reputation in the Pacific for political stability. Over the last quarter of a century, Samoahasenjoyedtheruleoflaw,consistencyinpolicy-making,andlawandorderwhilesimultaneously undertaking critical social, political and economic reform. By way of contrast, other countries in the region have notably suffered coups, violent conflict, economic decline, and breakdowns in law and order. This article analyses the factors contributing to Samoa’s stability, in particular the political dominance of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which has ruled continuously since 1988. The HRPP has been successful in maintaining the loyalty of members; keeping the opposition weak; managing, and arguably turning to its advantage, the government’s balance of power with traditional institutions; and effectively limiting the ability of the media to inform the public. While the rule of the HRPP has contributed significantly to Samoa’s political stability, this has, however, come at a price.