A former politician and the son of a former Prime Minister of Samoa has passed on in New Zealand.

Vaai Papu Vaai was the son of Samoa’s former Prime Minister Vaai Kolone, a co-founder of the Human Rights Protection Party.

He was first elected into the Legislative Assembly in 1991 and in 1996 he took on the role of Parliamentary Undersecretary for Works, Electrical Power Corporation (E.P.C.) and Water Authority. After getting re-elected in 1996, he was appointed the Minister of Justice and took on the Ministry of Agriculture portfolio between 1998 and 2001. 

The late Vaai was a founding member of the Tautua Samoa Party, Samoa’s former opposition party.

A member of the family of the late politician, Tupai Saleimoa Vaai, told the Samoa Observer on Monday that Vaai had passed away in New Zealand.

He confirmed that there are plans to bring his body back to Samoa but did not reveal the details until the family meets.

A former Tautua Samoa Party colleague and close friend, Afemata Palusalue Faapoo II, said the late former politician’s efforts to lead the party as opposition to the H.R.P.P. from 2011-2016 were some of the highlights of his political career.

Afemata said he is thankful for Vaai's contribution to the Samoa government and establishing the party.

"We will miss him, a father of the nation, even though he was no longer a Member of Parliament,” he said. 

“But we would still discuss political matters of the country. When I took up the leadership of Tautua, he gave me his assistance, he is a father that loves his country.

"He is a person that I respect and look up to because of his political contributions to the country when we worked together.”

Afetmata offered his condolences to the late Vaai's wife and his family.