Home-grown governor

for the Samoans

American Samoa took a major political step forward when the territory’s voters elected their first governor and lieutenant-governor in late November.

The winners of the run-off election, Peter Tali Coleman, governor-elect, and running mate Tufele Li’a, lieutenant governor elect, obtained 3 326 votes. Their opponents, Lutali A.P. and Fofo Sunia got 2 627 votes.

Though the winning margin was quite comfortable, it was not a run-away victory as some observers had pre dicted. In fact, in the first election held two weeks earlier, Coleman and Tufele won by a much bigger margin 2 358 votes against 1 270 for Lutali and Sunia, 955 for Fuimaono Asuemu and Lutu Tenari, 83 3 for Galeai Poumele and Salave’a, 387 for Leiato Tuli and Su’a Scanlan, and 54 votes for Luis Lagare jos and Jake King.

In electing Coleman, the

voters of the territory have elected a man of very wide ad ministrative experience. Born in American Samoa on December 8, 1919, of an American father and Samoan mother, Coleman received his education in Hawaii and the US mainland. He graduated

BS in economics from Georgetown University in Washington (DC) and later in law from the same university.

After leaving college, he worked as Pacific Area Analyst for the Department of the Interior 1951-52. Then he worked as public defender and planning officer and customs collector in American Samoa from 1952 to 1955. In 1956 he was appointed attorney-general and in this position so distinguished himself that the following year, the Eisenhower administration made him governor, He remained in this position until 1961 when he was replaced by the Kennedy administration and sent to the Trust Territory as an assistant administrator to the High Commissioner.

Later, he was made Deputy High Commissioner remaining in this post until several years ago.

Coleman will replace H.

Rex Lee as governor, the very man who replaced him in 1961 and whom the Carter administration had picked as the territory’s last appointed governor.

Lieut-Governor, Tufele

was born in Manu’a on Sep tember 1, 1940 and educated in American Samoa and the San Diego Junior College in the US. Returning to Samoa, he headed the Public Works Department office in the Manu’a Islands.

Governor John M. Haydon appointed him Commissioner of Public Safety.

With Coleman at the helm, American Samoa can expect an orderly process of govern ment. His main problem will appear to be bringing order out of chaos in government finances. He will also have to redefine the territory’s new relationships with the United States and with neighbouring Western Samoa.

But, judged from past ex perience, Coleman’s admin istration is probably going to be a fruitful one. He may be just the man American Samoa needs, especially in redefining the issues as viewed from the point of view of a Polynesian and Samoan in a Pacific world which is disenchanted with colonialism and neo-colonial ism and enamoured with nationalism, regionalism and internationalism.Felise Va’a

Governor-designate Peter Coleman.