Walter Vermeulen

Dr. Walter J. Vermeulen is a Samoan / Belgian surgeon, farmer and environmentalist. He was born in Belgium and educated at the University of Brussels, the University of Liverpool and Hawaii.

Career

He worked for over ten years in the higher ranks of the Health Department, and then served as Director General of Health in Samoa from 1990 - 1994. He won the landmark case Vermeulen v. A-G & Others for wrongful dismissal from the Samoan government and Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Efi. The case has had bearing on administrative and constitutional law, especially in Commonwealth countries. After he left the Health Department he became involved in environmentalism, first as Executive Director of O Le Siosiomaga Society, Inc., and then as Executive Director of Matuaileoo Environment Trust Inc. (METI). He is a proponent of a sustainable development system known as the Integrated Biomass System (IBS). He is married to the former member of parliament for the electoral constituency of Aana No. 1 Matatumua Maimoaga. On 13 February 2018 he was bestowed with the Knights Cross of the Order of Leopold in recognition for his work in medical and community development.[1] This bestowal was made by his Excellency Marc Mullie the Belgian Ambassador to Samoa.[2]

gollark: The electoral college also somewhat encourages first past the post-type stuff, which is just an awful voting system.
gollark: I'm already most of the way there, clearly.
gollark: Or I should just be supreme dictator for life, then made immortal and supreme dictator for eternity.
gollark: To stop tyranny of the majority, elections should be decided entirely randomly.
gollark: The specific bizarre way it's arranged gives tons of power to a bunch of arbitrary regions, especially ones which are likely to vote either way.

References
  1. http://www.samoaobserver.ws/en/15_02_2018/local/30050/Congratulations-Sir-Walter!.htm
  2. http://www.samoaobserver.ws/en/14_02_2018/local/29998/Samoa-welcomes-Belgium-Ambassador.htm


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