There is only one female Prime Minister in this world who earned the title “Iron Lady”, Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of Britain who led the country from 1979 to 1990.

Thatcher who is also Britain’s first female Prime Minister came into power in 1979 and got the title “Iron Lady” from a Russian journalist because of her uncompromising stance against communism and her unwavering push on what is renowned as Thatcherism.

Thatcherism, which embraces neoliberalism ideas of small governments, free markets, deregulation, privatization and the freedom of citizens to make a choice was Margaret Thatcher’s central philosophy of transforming Britain into a successful society.

Towards the end of her first term in office in 1981, Thatcher sacked three of her Cabinet Ministers because they were not on board with Thatcher’s steadfast position on neoliberalism.

Fast forward to 2025, a similar figure emerged in the Pacific. Fiame Naomi, Samoa’s first female Prime Minister and the first lady to hold the prime ministership post in a Pacific island country (except Australia and New Zealand) makes a tough and similar decision to that of Thatcher.

But there are some distinguishing facts. Thatcher sacked only three of her Cabinet Ministers while Fiame sacked four including the chairman of her political party. When Thatcher decided in 1981, the concept of social media was never heard of. Fiame on the other hand made such a tough decision during an era where social media has a significant influence on public policy and political leadership.

Fiame’s decision to sack four of her Cabinet Ministers due to her resolute belief in the rule of law and protecting the integrity of government so that the trust of citizens in government remains intact earns her the Iron Lady title. Making such a tough decision requires courage to stand for what is right regardless of the political consequences.

The rule of law and citizens’ trust in government are fundamentals central to good governance and political stability. The rule of law emphasises the democratic principle that every individual, organization, institution and state are subject to one law. It’s one law for every man.

The sacking of the former Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries by the Prime Minister to uphold the rule of law is a trademark of ethical leadership. The country’s constitution is very clear on this matter. The Prime Minister has every right to sack a Minister of Cabinet if there is an investigation or inquiry into the conduct of that Minister.

In the case of the former Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, there is an investigation into his conduct according to the charges made by the Police. The fabrication of evidence to blame an innocent person for the death of another person is not a light offence. It’s a criminal offence with a minimum penalty of imprisonment.

The sacking of the other three Cabinet Ministers on the grounds of trust (or lack of it) is also justified. As the Head of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister needs to work with Ministers who trust her leadership. This is the same reason why Margaret Thatcher sacked three of her senior Ministers in 1981. The Prime Minister needs to work with Ministers that she can trust for collective ministerial responsibilities.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister’s decision is met with great discontent from her own political party. The party’s position is to leave the former Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries alone until the outcome of his court case is determined.

This means the party wants the Prime Minister to leave aside her constitutional obligation to suspend or terminate a Cabinet Minister whose behaviour is under investigation.

So what is happening to the party’s commitment to the rule of law and good governance campaign theme song in the last election? One would expect the party to support the Prime Minister for her courageous effort to “walk the talk”. Sadly it is not the case.

The position of the ruling political party raises several questions about the principles and intentions of its members. This is the party that came into power under the premise of the rule of law and good governance and when its members are breaching the rule of law, they ask for exoneration through the back door.

The Prime Minister’s decision to sack four of her Cabinet Ministers to fulfil her constitutional responsibilities as the leader of this country should be praised for her courage and uncompromising stance on the rule of law. Such a decision is not hers alone but made on behalf of every citizen in this country.

The integrity of the Cabinet is superior to any individual ego and party agenda. This is an institution that consists of members elected by the people to make decisions on behalf of the people. Its integrity needs to be intact so that citizens’ trust in government remains unwavering. When its integrity is compromised, its leader needs to act swiftly to address such a gap at whatever cost. And that is exactly what the Prime Minister of this country and the Iron Lady of the Pacific is doing.

Some years ago, I conducted a leadership workshop for senior public servants in Kiribati. I invited Kiribati’s first president, Sir Ieremia Tabai as a guest speaker to make a presentation. Following his presentation, one of the senior officials asked him this question: Sir, what does it take to be a good leader? His response was: You got to be a bastard because you will be making unpopular and tough decisions that affect your families and friends. Everyone including your close relatives and friends will blame you for every bad thing that happens. But as long as you believe that what you are doing is best for the people then remain steadfast in the course.

The rule of law and integrity of government are amongst other things the Prime Minister of this country believes are in the best interest of the people. A belief that many rational-thinking citizens of this country support. So, stay on the course Madam Prime Minister, you are not alone.

Le’aula Mata’afa Dr. Desmond U. Amosa