Samoa joins the Commonwealth

From an Apia correspondent The independent state of Western Samoa is to join the British Commonwealth. Western Samoa’s new prime minister, Tupua Tamasese Lealofi, in announcing this in Apia in June, said support of cabinet for the decision was unanimous.

He commented, “Our country has enjoyed many of the benefits of Commonwealth membership on an ‘as if basis in past years, and it is not fitting that we should continue to enjoy these benefits without committing ourselves to full membership”.

Cabinet’s decision has passed without a ripple in Apia.

Samoa has been independent for eight years and as the Prime Minister says, she has had all the advantages membership entails.

She has received considerable educational assistance under Commonwealth auspices with teachers coming from UK, Australia and Canada (apart from the special arrangements with NZ) and has had a number of Commonwealth scholarships offered.

In addition a tree crops specialist has been made available under the Overseas Development Ministry of the UK.

Parliamentarians have had particularly close relationships with the Commonwealth, Samoa is a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and sends a delegate to the annual meetings of the association. Parliamentary procedure is modelled on Westminster.

The move to join the Commonwealth is merely aimed at formalising a relationship that Samoa has enjoyed informally for the past eight years. The delay in making formal application is attributed to the cautious conservatism that has typified the attitude of Samoan leaders to all major questions since independence. » -i, UThe main result of l . he acti on,” said one top Samoan official, will be to remove any possible doubts in the minds of other Common wealth members as to the sincerity of Samoa’s attitude towards the Commonwealth. It will make little or no difference to Samoa.”

Parliament has not yet met since the elections earlier this year, but there soon will be a meeting to pass the supplementary estimates.

The delay in calling parliament together has probably been a wise m °ve K the new Prime Minister and his Cabinet because it has enabled the people to accept the change in the leaders, and if, anything, support for Lealofi is stronger.