Director of Samoan Studies at the National University of Samoa (NUS), Dr Taiao Matiu Matavai Tautunu, said the government has no power to interfere with a village’s decision on who serves as its mayor.

“The government does not have any control over the village’s choice of mayor,” Taiao said. “E leai se pule a le malo i le nu‘u i le filifiliga o le latou pulenu‘u. The village is still in charge of its own practices.”

Taiao explained that while the Village Fono Act 1990 and its 2017 amendment provide legal recognition of village councils under the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD), implementation depends on each community’s customs and internal governance.

“The village Act is there, the amendment is there, but it is up to each village how they apply their own practices,” he said.

He added that the position of mayor (pulenu‘u) was first introduced during the German administration to serve as a liaison between the government and villages.

“The original role of a mayor was to report to the Ministry about developments within the village,” he said.

The current dispute between the Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development involves Maualaivao Pepe Seiuli, the village’s appointed mayor and former acting Ombudsman, who continues to serve as mayor despite not receiving payment from the government.

Mayor of Apia Tuiletufuga Fritz Tuiavii-Savaiinaea said that while the Ministry provides guidance, the authority ultimately rests with the villages.

“Our Ministry advises with reminders, but decisions are from villages for them to judge if needed to, but a village decision is a village decision — that’s final,” he said.

Tuiletufuga also emphasised that government departments must follow the established process when engaging with village leaders.

“No government department comes directly to us as village servants,” he said. “Any Ministry must come through us — the mayor and the Sui Tamaitai (women of the village).”

The Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD) has held off paying the Malie’s village mayor, Maualaivao Pepe Seiuli, until an internal dispute is resolved, according to a letter sent by the Ministry last week. Questions have been sent to the Ministry, and no response has been received as of Monday.