Government & politics — Papua New Guinea
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Papua New Guinea: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Independent State of Papua New Guinea
- Country Name
Papua New Guinea
- Local - Short
Papuaniugini
- Abbreviation
PNG
- Former Name
German New Guinea, British New Guinea, Territory of Papua and New Guinea
- Etymology- history of name
the word "papua" derives from the Malay "papuah" describing the frizzy hair of the Melanesians; Spanish explorer Ynigo ORTIZ de RETEZ applied the term "Nueva Guinea" to the island of New Guinea in 1545 after noting the resemblance of the locals to the peoples of the Guinea coast of Africa
- Independence
16 September 1975 (from the Australia-administered UN trusteeship)
- National Holiday
Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Political system
- Government Type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
- Constitution
- history: adopted 15 August 1975,
- effective at independence 16 September 1975 amendments: proposed by the National Parliament; passage has prescribed majority vote requirements depending on the constitutional sections being amended – absolute majority, two-thirds majority, or three-fourths majority; amended many times, last in 2016
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Grand Ch
- Prime Minister James MARAPE (since 30 May 2019) cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on th
- e recommendation of the prime minister elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general nominated by the National Parliament and appointed by the chief of state; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general pendi
- ng the outcome of a National Parliament vote election results: James MARAPE reelected prime minister; National Parliament vote - 105 out of 118
- Legislative Branch:
Description
unicameral National Parliament (118 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies - 89 local, 20 provincial, the autonomous province of Bouganville, and the National Capital District - by majority preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms);
Note
the constitution allows up to 126 seats
Elections
last held from 4-22 July 2022 (next to be held in June 2027)
Election Results
- percent of vote by party - NA
- seats by party - PANGU PATI - 39, PNC - 17, URP - 11, NAP - 6, SDP - 4, PFP - 4, PP – 4, PNGP – 3, ULP - 3, Advance PNG - 2, National Party - 2, Liberal Party - 2, AP - 1, Destiny Party - 1, Greens - 1, MAP - 1, NGP - 1, ODP - 1, PLP - 1, PMC - 1, PPP - 1, PRP - 1, THE - 1, independents - 10;
Composition
NA
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, 35 justices, and 5 acting justices); National Courts (consists of 13 courts located in the provincial capitals, with a to
- tal of 19 resident judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor general upon advice of the National Executive Council (cabinet) after consultation with the National Justice Administration minister; deputy chief justice and other justices appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body that includes the Supreme Court chief and deputy chief justices, the chief ombudsman, and a member of the National Parliament; full-time citizen judges appointed for 10-year renewable terms; non-citizen judges initially appointed for 3-year renewable terms and after first renewal can serve until age 70; appointment and t
- enure of National Court resident judges NA subordinate courts: district, village, and juvenile courts, military courts, taxation courts, coronial courts, mining warden courts, land courts, traffic courts, committal courts, grade five courts
- Regions or States:
20 provinces, 1 autonomous region*, and 1 district**; Bougainville*, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Hela, Jiwaka, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital**, New Ireland, Northern, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain, West Sepik
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Destiny Party [Marsh NAREWEC]
- Liberal Party [John PUNDARI]
- Melanesian Alliance Party or MAP [Joseph YOPYYOPY]
- Melanesian Liberal Party or MLP [Dr Allan MARAT]
- National Alliance Party or NAP [Walter SCHNAUBELT]
- Our Development Party or ODP [Puka TEMU]
- Papua and Niugini Union Party or PANGU PATI [James MARAPE]
- Papua New Guinea Greens Party [Richard MASERE]
- Papua New Guinea National Party [Kerenga KUA]
- Papua New Guinea Party or PNGP [Belden NAMAH]
- People's First Party or PFP [Richard MARU]
- People's Movement for Change or PMC [Gary JUFFA]
- People's National Congress Party or PNC [Peter Paire O'NEILL]
- People’s National Party [Kerenga KUA]
- People's Party or PP [Dr Lino TOM]
- People's Progress Party or PPP [Sir Julius CHAN]
- People's Reform Party or PRP [James DONALD]
- PNG Party [Belden NAMAH]
- Social Democratic Party or SDP [Powes PARKOP]
- Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party or THE [Don POLYE]
- United Labor Party or ULP [Koni IGUAN]
- United Resources Party or URP [William DUMA]
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must
- no residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Port Moresby
- Capital - geographic coordinate
9 27 S, 147 11 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Papua New Guinea has two time zones, including Bougainville (UTC+11)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (observer), C, CD, CP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador-designate Ann Marie YASTISHOCK (since 2 February 2024); note - also accredited to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu embassy: Harbour City Road, Konedobu, Port Moresby, NCD, Papua New Guinea mailing address: 4240 Port Moresby Pl, Washington DC 20521-4240
telephone
[675] 308-9100
Email address and website
- ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov
- https://pg.usembassy.gov/
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Cephas KAYO (since 31 January 2018)
chancery
1825 K Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington, DC 20006
telephone
[1] (202) 745-3680
FAX
[1] (202) 745-3679
Email address and website
- info@pngembassy.org
- http://www.pngembassy.org/