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 NA 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: National Alliance or NA [Michael
SOMARE]; National Party or NP [Michael MEL]; 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 National Congress or PNC [Simon KAUMI]; People's
Progress Party or PPP [Michael NALI]; People's Unity Party or PUP
[Alfred KAIABE]; United Party or UP [Rimbiuk PATO]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, APEC, ARF (dialogue
partner), AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Susan JACOBS

chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680

FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Arma Jane KARAER

embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby

mailing address: P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby

telephone: [675] 321-1455

FAX: [675] 321-3423

Flag description: divided diagonally from upper hoist-