Editing Human Rights Protection Party

{{short description|Samoan political party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox political party
| country          = Samoa
| name             = Human Rights Protection Party
| native_name      = Vaega Faʻaupufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata
| native_name_lang = sm
| logo             = HRPP Samoa logo.png
| logo_size        = 201px
| leader           = [[Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi]]
| leader2_title    = Deputy Leader
| leader2_name     = [[Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://samoaglobalnews.com/hrpp-selects-fonotoe-as-deputy-leader1/ |title=HRPP Selects Fonotoe as Deputy Leader |author=Marieta H Ilalio |publisher=Samoa Global News |date=23 April 2021 |access-date=22 May 2021}}</ref>
| foundation       = May 1979
| ideology         = [[Christian democracy]] <br/> [[Social conservatism]]
| position         = {{nowrap|[[Centrism|Centre]]<ref>{{cite book |author1=[[Freedom House]] |title=Freedom in the World 2003: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties |date=2003 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9780742528703 |page=475 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W4kxASXX0pEC&dq=%22hrpp%22+%22centrist%22&pg=PA475}}</ref> to [[centre-right]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Political Systems Of The World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DIkWJ3psB2gC&q=%28Human+Rights+Protection+Party+OR+HRPP%29+samoa+%22centre-right%22&pg=PA123|page=123|publisher=Allied Publishers|last1=Derbyshire|first1=J. Denis|last2=Derbyshire|first2=Ian|year=1989|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788170233077}}</ref>}}
| religion         = [[Christianity]]
| international    = 
| split            = 
| colours          = [[Blue]]
| headquarters     = 
| colorcode        = {{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}
| seats1_title     = [[Legislative Assembly of Samoa|Legislative Assembly]]
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|18|53|{{party colour|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
| flag             = 
| website          = [http://hrpp.org.ws/ Official website]
}}
The '''Human Rights Protection Party''' ('''HRPP''', {{langx|sm|Vaega Faʻaupufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata}}) is a [[Samoa]]n political party. It was founded in 1979 and dominated Samoan party politics for decades thereafter, leading every government until their defeat in 2021. Former Prime Minister [[Tuila{{okina}}epa Sa{{okina}}ilele Malielegaoi]] has led the party since 1998.

== History ==
[[Vaʻai Kolone]] and [[Tofilau Eti Alesana]] co-founded the party in May 1979 in opposition to the government of [[Tufuga Efi|Tupuola Efi]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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 Minister of Samoa|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]]<ref>
[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]
</ref> (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]].<ref name="SOcrisis1">{{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"}}
</ref><ref name="RNZ-CC1">{{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"}}</ref> The Court of Appeal ruled against the HRPP on 23 July 2021, allowing the opposition to belatedly take power.<ref name=SOResolved>{{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}}</ref>

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]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

== Principles and policies ==
In June 2017, the Legislative Assembly passed a bill to increase support for Christianity in the country's [[Constitution of Samoa|constitution]], including a reference to the [[Trinity]] in Article 1. According to ''[[The Diplomat (magazine)|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."<ref name="report"/> The preamble to the constitution already described the country as "an independent State based on Christian principles and Samoan custom and traditions."<ref name="report">{{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}}</ref>

== Electoral history ==

=== Legislative Assembly elections ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! Election
! Leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Rank
! Status
|-
![[1982 Samoan general election|1982]]
|align=left| [[Va{{okina}}ai Kolone]]
|3,482
|29.3
|{{Composition bar|24|47|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
|New
|1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[1985 Samoan general election|1985]]
| rowspan="4" align=left|[[Tofilau Eti Alesana]]
|4,698
|34.5
|{{Composition bar|32|47|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 8
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[1988 Samoan general election|1988]]
|5,017
|35.9
|{{Composition bar|23|47|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 9
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[1991 Samoan general election|1991]]
|34,262
|44.8
|{{Composition bar|27|47|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 4
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[1996 Samoan general election|1996]]
|29,353
|43.5
|{{Composition bar|24|49|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 3
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[2001 Samoan general election|2001]]
| rowspan="5" align=left|[[Tuila{{okina}}epa Sa{{okina}}ilele Malielegaoi]]
|34,262
|44.8
|{{Composition bar|23|49|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 1
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[2006 Samoan general election|2006]]
|42,156
|50.2
|{{Composition bar|33|49|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 10
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[2011 Samoan general election|2011]]
|48,771
|55.6
|{{Composition bar|29|49|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 4
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[2016 Samoan general election|2016]]
|45,505
|56.9
|{{Composition bar|35|50|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}} }}
|{{increase}} 6
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Government}}
|-
![[2021 Samoan general election|2021]]
|49,237
|55.4
|{{Composition bar|25|51|hex={{party color|Human Rights Protection Party}} }}
|{{decrease}} 10
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{No2|Official opposition}}
|}

== References ==
{{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]]