Office1: | Minister for Education |
Term1: | 1964–1967 |
Predecessor1: | Tuatagaloa Leutele Teʻo |
Successor1: | Tuaopepe Tame |
Office2: | Member of the Legislative Assembly |
Term2: | 1964–1967 |
Predecessor2: | Tuilagi Simi |
Successor2: | Leilua Iuliano |
Constituency2: | Faʻasaleleaga No. 2 |
Death Place: | New Zealand |
Papaliʻi Asiata Fauatea Poumau was a Western Samoan politician. He served as Minister for Education between 1964 and 1967.
A former court interpreter and registrar in the Land and Titles Court,[1] Poumau worked in the Western Samoa Public Service Commission,[2] later becoming Resident Commissioner of Savaiʻi. In 1958 he became the first Samoan to represent New Zealand at the South Pacific Commission.[3] He was made an MBE in the 1961 New Year Honours. In February 1961 he was appointed as the Samoan administrator of the referendum on independence and a new constitution.[4]
After retiring from the civil service,[2] he contested the Faʻasaleleaga No. 2 constituency in the 1964 general elections, defeating incumbent MLA Tuilagi Simi by 68 votes to 63.[5] Following the elections, he was surprisingly appointed Minister for Education by Prime Minister Fiame Mataʻafa.[1] However, he lost his seat in the 1967 elections,[6] losing to Leilua Iuliano by 78 votes to 64.[5] He ran again in the 1970 elections, but finished fourth out of five candidates with only eleven votes.[5]
Poumau died in New Zealand in the early 1970s.[2]