National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Constitution: 16 September 1975
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Silas ATOPARE (since 13 November 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Sir Mekere MORAUTA (since 14 July 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Michael OGIO (since 3 November 2000) cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the National Executive Council; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general for up to five years on the basis of majority support in National Parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament - sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly (109 seats, 89 elected from open electorates and 20 from provincial electorates; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 14-28 June 1997 (next to be held 15 June 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - PPP 15%, Pangu Pati 14%, NA 14%, PDM 8%, PNC 6%, PAP 5%, UP 3%, NP 1%, PUP 1%, independents 33%; seats by party - PPP 16, Pangu Pati 15, NA 15, PDM 9, PNC 7, PAP 5, UP 3, NP 1, PUP 1, independents 37; note - association with political parties is very fluid
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the proposal of the National Executive Council after consultation with the minister responsible for justice; other judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission)
Political parties and leaders: Melanesian Alliance Party or MAP [leader
NA]; National Alliance or NA [George MANDA, party president]; National
Front Party [leader NA]; National Party or NP [Michael MEL]; Papua New
Guinea Revival Party [John PUNDARI]; Papua New Guinea United Party or
Pangu Pati [Chris HAIVETA]; People's Action Party or PAP [Ted DIRO];
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Sir Mekere MORAUTA]; People's
Labor Party or PLP [Peter YAMA]; People's National Congress or PNC
[Bill SKATE]; People's Progress Party or PPP [Michael NALI]; People's
Unity Party or PUP [Alfred KAIABE]; United Party or UP [Rimbiuk PATO]
note: more than 40 political parties have registered to participate in
the June 2002 elections
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, APEC, ARF (dialogue
partner), AsDB, ASEAN (associate member), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC,
SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO