The village of Malie has applied to the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development to replace its pulenuʻu (village mayor) with Maualaivao Pepe Seiuli, the former acting Ombudsman of Samoa.

Maualaivao confirmed the submission in an interview with the Samoa Observer, saying it followed a village council meeting held on Monday. “The whole village came over to the Ministry, and we sent it in a normal application form with the signatories of all those people involved in the decision-making process,” he said.

He added that officials told them the final decision rests with the Cabinet. “They will let us know once the cabinet decides on it,” he said.

Maualaivao explained that the process for appointing a village mayor typically begins with a village council recommendation. When asked to confirm if he would take the position, he said, “That’s what the Council resolved to recommend.”

Although he initially declined the role, Maualaivao said he accepted “out of respect for the village plea,” adding, “Money is nothing to me — all I need is to assist wherever possible with good governance.”

The pulenuʻu is a government-recognised village position that falls under the public payroll, with the postholder paid by the government to serve as the official liaison between the village and the state.

The Samoa Observer understands the village’s decision followed a breach of an ancient village protocol involving the use and planting of coconut leaves during a funeral — a practice reserved exclusively for the Malietoa title.

When the Samoa Observer visited, the current pulenu’u was not home, but his son confirmed his father had been asked to leave the village, though they remained there as of Friday. 

The Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development has not responded to questions about the submission.