13 Jan 2018

Samoa formalises honorific for head of state

10:51 am on 13 January 2018

The Samoa government is formalising the official honorific for the Head of State.

It will be Lau Afioga i le Ao Mamalu o le Malo.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi says the title will be formalised due to confusion in official correspondence and state functions in which the Head of State is often addressed as, Your Excellency or Your Highness.

Tuilaepa says other countries use traditional honourifics in their own languages to address their leaders, so Samoa will do the same.

In July, parliament elected Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II as the Head of State for a five year term.

Tuimalealiifano Va'aleto'a Sualauvi II

Tuimalealiifano Va'aleto'a Sualauvi II. Photo: Supplied