The remaining two seats are reserved for citizens not of Samoan heritage. While all adult Samoans may vote for the Legislative Assembly, matai continue to control local government through the village Fono which are open to them alone. The political process is more a function of personality than of party. The Samoan National Development Party is the opposition party. The next general elections will be held in 1996.
Women occasionally reach high public office.
The 12-member Cabinet has 1 female member, and women hold 2 of the 47 seats in Parliament. The first female judge was named in 1994. Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights A number of human rights groups operated without government restriction, investigating the Tumua and Pule sedition case and publishing their findings about it. Government officials are usually cooperative. The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, religion, disability, language, or social status.