Human Rights Protection Party

Vaʻai Kolone and Tofilau Eti Alesana co-founded the party in May 1979 in opposition to the government of Tupuola Efi.{{cite book |author= Asofou So'o |editor= Roland Rich, Luke Hambly and Michael G. Morgan |title= Political Parties in the Pacific Islands |chapter= The establishment and operation of Samoa's political party system |year= 2005 |publisher= Pandanus Books |location= Canberra |pages= 189}} It governed the country from first winning power in 1982 to 2021, except for a brief period in 1986 and 1987 when internal differences forced it into coalition.

The two founders of the early party, Kolone and Alesana, both became Prime Ministers of Samoa.

The U.S. State Department's 2010 human rights report (published on 8 April 2011) stated that the Human Rights Protection Party remained the only officially recognized party in the Legislative Assembly of Samoa

[https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/eap/154400.htm 2010 Human Rights Report: Samoa, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, April 8, 2011]

(the Fono) as of that date.

After the April 2021 Samoan general election the HRPP refused to yield power to the newly elected government, triggering the 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis.{{cite web |url= https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/84480 |title=Head of State suspends Parliament |publisher=Samoa Observer |author=Joyetter Feagaimaali'i |date=22 May 2021 |access-date=22 May 2021 |quote="Samoa has been thrown into a constitutional crisis"}}

{{cite web |url= https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/443159/sitting-of-samoa-parliament-cancelled-constitutional-turmoil-deepens |title= Sitting of Samoa parliament cancelled; constitutional turmoil deepens |author= Jamie Tahana |publisher=RNZ |date=22 May 2021 |access-date= 22 May 2021 |quote= "with the country now well engulfed in a constitutional crisis"}} The Court of Appeal ruled against the HRPP on 23 July 2021, allowing the opposition to belatedly take power.{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/87898 |title=F.A.S.T. declared new Government as appeal upheld |publisher=Samoa Observer |author=Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong |date=23 July 2021 |access-date=23 July 2021}}

In November 2022, MPs Ale Vena Ale and Tuʻuʻu Anasiʻi Leota resigned from the HRPP to become independents, saying they did not want to remain in a party led by a leader guilty of contempt of court.{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/100404 |title=Tu'u'u and Ale resign from H.R.P.P. |publisher=Samoa Observer |author=Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong |date=3 November 2022 |access-date=3 November 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/478029/samoan-opposition-mps-quit-party-to-become-independents |title=Samoan opposition MPs quit party to become independents |work=RNZ |publisher=RNZ |date=4 November 2022|access-date=4 November 2022}}

In June 2017, the Legislative Assembly passed a bill to increase support for Christianity in the country's constitution, including a reference to the Trinity in Article 1. According to The Diplomat, "What Samoa has done is shift references to Christianity into the body of the constitution, giving the text far more potential to be used in legal processes." The preamble to the constitution already described the country as "an independent State based on Christian principles and Samoan custom and traditions."{{cite magazine |url=https://thediplomat.com/2017/06/samoa-officially-becomes-a-christian-state/ |title=Samoa Officially Becomes a Christian State |last=Wyeth |first=Grant |date=16 June 2017 |magazine=The Diplomat |access-date=19 June 2017}}

{{reflist}}

{{Samoan political parties}}

Category:Political parties in Samoa

Category:Political parties established in 1979

Category:Human rights in Samoa

Category:1979 establishments in Samoa

Category:Christian political parties