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THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC. SPRING 1994

two for a three-day national WESTERN conference. Coordinator Foisaga The year 1992-93 was one for trade Eteuati-Shon discussed grass-root missions and establishing sister city women and the economy, while the relationships. One such relationship University ofthe South Pacific's Tuala was initiated between Maclean Shire in Tiresa Malietoa stressed women, cul­ New South Wales, Australia, and ture, and environment. Methodists dis­ . Population was predicted to dou­ cussed ways of aligning monetary poli­ ble to 313,981 by the year 2021. There cies with modern economic practices at were setbacks. The Washington their annual conference in July. embassy, opened with fanfare in 1990, Tiava'asue Falefatu Sapolu, a law­ and blighted by financial mismanage­ yer in private practice, was chosen as ment, was closed during the year and chief justice in July 1992. No stranger its functions resumed by the New York in judicial circles, he had served as act­ office. ing ChiefJustice, and two terms as Current and former lands and sur­ attorney general, in 1983-85 and 1988­ vey ministers exchanged abuse in Par­ 90. In 1990, he held both positions and liament over whose wife had what still managed to find time for his pri­ store in the new market. Parliamentary vate practice. Blood ties in small Island Speaker Afamasaga Fatu Vaili stepped communities run deep, particularly in in and separated the two. Later, he high places. Tiava'asue succeeded his blew the whistle on Ulualofaiga Tala­ brother-in-law and acting ChiefJustice maivao Niko for upsetting standing Richard B. Lussick, married to Kata­ orders as the latter tried fielding a ques­ lina Sapolu. His blood and profes­ tion on the 1992-93 budget. Nine sional ties further increased the back­ months later, Afamasaga clashed with log ofcases because ofconflicts of Prime Minister Tofilau. With Parlia­ interest. In some cases, he was involved ment in disarray, he adjourned April's at different times as defense counsel, session weeping. The prime minister government prosecutor, and judge. battled on. His ruling Human Right Western Samoa Trust Estates Cor­ Protection (HRPP) government had poration, once the country's largest pushed through constitutional changes primary producer, continued to strug­ in 1991, increasing parliament's term gle with its bills. It was left with a six­ from three to five years, and cabinet by thousand-acre plantation in Mulifa­ four ministers. Factionalism struck nua, another twenty-five acres at Nu'u, with members of Parliament threaten­ a soap factory and abattoir at Vailele ing to withdraw support if passed over (Samoa Times, 18 Sept 1992). Revenue for the cabinet. For the fifth or sixth from lease ofland now reverts to the time, Tofilau announced his resigna­ Samoa Land Corporation, formed in tion and the herd laughed and 1990, which may soon demand rent regrouped. from the Trust Estates Corporation. The churches had more than reli­ With cocoa production down since gious instruction in their minds. The 1990, and full coconut production still Baha'i got together women from the months away, a no-sale policy was POLITICAL REVIEWS 199 imposed on livestock to build up the faced. Attorney-General Le'aupepe herd. Sanerive Muli'aumaseali'i resigned Import substitution, expansion, and when found guilty on four charges of diversification remained catchwords. professional misconduct. The charges For 1991, combined export earnings related to trust accounts totalling more were ws$16.54 million. Tourism earned than us$61,000 at his Auckland law WS$34 million, double that of all other practice, which he ran from 1982-1991. exports. On the debit side, imports of He was a ranking matai, and most of industrial supplies cost WS$78.1 mil­ his clients were Samoans. lion. Tourism was boosted with an Tupa'i Se Apa succeeded Le'aupepe inaugural Teuila Festival, complete as attorney general. He was public with a New Zealand-inspired flea mar­ trustee for five years before setting up a ket and a ten-year development plan. law partnership with Tuala Karanita Samoa's distinctive culture is on sale, Enari, the country's first local and with plans to improve access to some highly respected secretary to govern­ 320 remote villages. ment in the early 1970s. Greater access to customary lands With New Zealand assistance, two for investment purposes, especially in electronic beams landed in Apia during promoting public infrastructure for May; a set oftraffic lights and a televi­ tourism, was planned. The idea was sion station. Television Western Samoa that government would lease land from was launched on 29 May replete with customary landowners, to be subleased lotu and lauga from leaders of the two to investors for commercial develop­ Samoas. On ', transmission ment. Investors would deal with one extends east to Lufilufi and west to central authority, thus protecting land­ Falelatai and the eastern coastline of owner's interests and speeding up Savai'i. Nestled in between, Manono negotiations (Samoan Observer, 4 June and Apolima are within easy range. 1993)· The thirty-first independence cele­ Two New Zealand-generated trust bration inaugurated an honors list with funds dominated the headlines in four categories: Malietoa Tanumafili II March and April 1993. The first in­ Service Order for outstanding acts of volved funds for victims of Cyclone Val bravery or heroism (made posthu­ collected by Samoans in New Zealand, mously to three tama'aiga associated and matched dollar-for-dollar by the with decolonization); the Western New Zealand government. Having Samoa Order of Tiafau for long and raised ws$1.8m from a telethon, the outstanding service (six awards); the community leaders decided to bypass Western Samoa Order ofMerit for out­ the Apia government and go straight to standing achievement in any field of the districts. But things went sour. endeavor (nine awards); and the West­ While the country picked up with New ern Samoa Certificate ofExcellence for Zealand assistance, the committee exceptionally high achievement in any embarked on a course of self-destruc­ field of endeavor (nine awards). In tion (Savali, 22 April 1993). addition, three honorary awards were In April, the second scandal sur- made. 1*'6 iSm '.Iaw,; 'W&litiiilgankit!14;;;;4iiN";,,pa&

200 THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC. SPRING 1994

The University ofthe South Pacific's declined by 4.6 percent in 1992, com­ (usp) silver jubilee was also remem­ pared to a decline of7.5 percent in bered in Apia. Prime Minister Tofilau 1990. Import payments increased to an Eti opened usp's biannual council at all-time high of WS$271 million, while the School ofAgriculture on the export earnings dropped to ws$I4 mil­ campus. He expressed surprise at the lion, resulting in a balance ofpayments small numbers of students of agricul­ deficit of WS$20 million for 1992, the ture, and urged better coordination in first since 1981. Family remittances agricultural research. Pro-Chancellor declined by 50 percent during the same and Forum Secretariat chief executive period. During the first quarter of Ieremia Tabai replied that Western 1993, net foreign assets dropped by Samoa had given uSP Alafua its first WS$7.5 million, reducing import cover regional Vice-Chancellor (usp Bulletin, from eight to six months. 4June 1993). On a brighter note, Tuilaepa prom­ In June, Parliament was presented ised more privatization and a decline in with the 1993-94 budget, which pro­ inflation from its April 1993 rate of6.2 jected ws$168.37 million in expendi­ percent. Government investment in tures and WS$169.61 million in reve­ social and economic infrastructure had nues. Finance Minister Tuilaepa led to a corresponding increase in restated the debilitating effects of suc­ investment as a ratio of GDP, from 26 cessive cyclones and consequent de­ percent in 1989 to 42 percent in 1992. cline in GDP since 1990. The poor per­ Tuilaepa predicted that, as the agricul­ formance ofthe agricultural sector in tural sector recovered, and if the im­ 1992 was mitigated to some extent by port bill was contained, the economy that ofYazaki, automobile wiring would grow by 4 percent in 1993.

assembler and the country's largest A. MORGAN TUIMALEALI'IFANO export industry. Estimated real GDP