New laws will allow the Samoan diaspora to vote. Opponents say the change could give more power to overseas citizens than those in the country itself.
La'auli Leuatea Schmidt in Parliament this week. 5 March 2024 Photo: Facebook / Parliament of Samoa
Changes to electoral laws in Samoa will allow overseas voters for the first time, and opponents say it could shift the balance of power, allowing the Samoan diaspora to decide elections.
Most countries allow citizens living abroad to vote, albeit with some restrictions. But in a country where more of its people live outside the country than in it, there are worries it might not work in the best interest of the local population.
"The opposition is concerned that given the large size of the Samoan diaspora that overseas voters could outnumber local voters, meaning results could be determined [...] by a population outside of Samoa, as opposed to those who are residing in Samoa," says RNZ Pacific's editor Koroi Hawkins.
"New Zealand has a very large Samoan diaspora and there are really strong connections to the islands through family, through businesses, through churches," he says.
The Samoan government passed two amendments last week. One will modernise the voting system and clean up the existing rolls, using biometric data. The other, which is the more controversial, will give Samoans who don't live in the country the opportunity to vote.
This could include many of the 180,000 Samoans here in New Zealand, 200,000 in the United States of America, and 100,000 in Australia.
In Samoa itself, the population is around 220,000.
Still, just exactly how this will play out is unclear.
"There are some grey areas around who is eligible to vote," says Hawkins.
RNZ Pacific journalist Finau Fonua tells The Detail that, just as there are people in Samoa who are unhappy about the idea of the diaspora voting, there are also Samoans here who aren't happy about the change, largely due to a penalty for those who are eligible to register to vote but don't.
"The penalty is 100 tala [approximately 75 NZD]. It's not hugely expensive but it's a slap on the wrist," he says.
"If you're a Samoan living in New Zealand and you go back to visit your home country you pay 100 tala for not voting - even if you have no interest in voting.
"The Samoan government would make a lot of money from the Samoans going back, but it's not going to make them popular among the Samoan diaspora - which is ironic because one of the purposes behind the law change was to make the electoral system more inclusive for the Samoan diaspora."
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