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 Paulius MATANE (since 29 June
2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Sir Michael SOMARE (since 2
August 2002); deputy prime minister Don Polye (since 5 July 2006)
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; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition usually is appointed prime minister by the
governor general
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 15-29 June 2002 and April and May 2003;
completed in May 2003 (voting in the Southern Highlands was not
completed during the June 2002 election period); next to be held not
later than June 2007
election results: percent of vote by party - National Alliance 18%,
URP 13%, PDM 12%, PPP 8%, Pangu 6%, PAP 5%, PLP 4%, others 34%;
seats by party - National Alliance 19, URP 14, PDM 13, PPP 8, PANGU
6, PAP 5, PLP 4, others 40; as of January 2006 - National Alliance
25, URP 10, PNGP 9, PPP 9, PANGU 6, PAP 12, PLP 4, others 34
note: association with political parties is fluid (2005)
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:
Christian Democratic Party [Dr. Banare BUN]; Melanesian Alliance
Party or MAP [Sir Moi AVEL]; National Alliance Party or NA [Michael
SOMARE]; National Party [Melcher PEP]; Papua and Niugini Union Party
or PANGU [Rabbie NAMALIU]; Papua New Guinea First Party [Cecilking
DORUBA]; Papua New Guinea Labor Party [Bob DANAYA]; Papua New Guinea
Party or PNGP (was People's Democratic Movement or PDM) [Sir Mekere
MORAUTA]; People's Action Party or PAP [Moses MALADINA]; People's
Labor Party or PLP [Ekis ROPENU]; People's National Congress or PNC
[Peter O'NEILL]; People's Progress Party or PPP [Byron CHAN]; Pipol
First Party [Luther WENGE]; United Party [Bire KIMASOPA]; United
Resources Party or URP [Tim NEVILLE] (2005)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA,
NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Evan Jeremy PAKI
chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC
20036
telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680
FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. FITTS embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby mailing address: 4240 Port Moresby PI, US Department of State, Washington DC 20521-4240 telephone: [675] 321-1455 FAX: [675] 321-3423