Head of State of Samoa

O le Ao o le Malo of the Independent State of Samoa
Coat of Arms of the Independent State of Samoa
Incumbent Va'aletoa Sualauvi II since 21 July 2017
Term length	Five years, no term limit
Inaugural holder	Meaʻole and Tanumafili II
Formation	1 January 1962

O le Ao o le Malo (Samoan: "Chieftain of the Government"; Ao is a title generally reserved for chiefs (matai), while malo means "government") is the Samoan head of state.

The position is described in Part III of the 1960 Samoan constitution. At the time the constitution was adopted, it was anticipated that future heads of state would be chosen from among the four Tama a 'Aiga "royal" paramount chiefs. However, this is not required by the constitution, so, for this reason, Samoa can be considered a republic rather than a constitutional monarchy (such as the United Kingdom). The government Press Secretariat describes O le Ao o le Malo as a "ceremonial president". However, as all of the heads of state, elected by the Fono, the country's parliament (which is itself almost entirely composed of customary chiefs), since independence have been one of the four chiefs, so it is ambiguous as to whether the country constitutes a parliamentary republic or a democratic elective monarchy.

The Samoan head of state, has since the country's independence enjoyed the title of Highness, as do the heads of the four paramount chiefly dynasties.

The current O le Ao o le Malo is Va'aletoa Sualauvi II, who was elected to a five-year term which started on 21 July 2017.

When Samoa became independent on January 1, 1962, two of the four paramount chiefs (Tama a 'Aiga) – Tanumafili II and Meaʻole – were jointly named to the office for life by the 1960 Constitution. Each represented, respectively, the Malietoa and Tupua Tamasese, the "two of the four main family lineages" of Samoa. They were jointly known as O Ao o le Malo and individually as O le Ao o le Malo. Mea'ole died a year later in 1963, leaving Tanumafili as the sole holder of the office until his death in 2007, aged 94. His replacement, Tufuga Efi, had served two prior terms as Prime Minister of Samoa and is the elder son of Meaʻole. He was elected by the Samoan Legislative Assembly for a five-year term beginning on 20 June 2007 and again in July 2012 for a further five-year term. The 4th and current head of state is Tui A'ana Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aleto'a Eti Sualauvi II, the great grandson of Mau Movement leader Tuimaleali'ifano Fa'aoloi'i and nephew of the original member of the Council of Deputies Tuimaleali'ifano Suatipatipa II, succeeded Tufuga Efi, after being newly elected by the Legislative Assembly for a five year term in 30 June 2017 when Tufuga Efi's term was nearing its end.