1977 Papua New Guinean general election

none Papua New Guinea 18 June–9 July 1977 1972 1982 All 109 seats in the National Parliament 55 60.35% yes yes Pangu Pati Michael Somare 30 People's Progress Party Julius Chan 16 United Party (Papua New Guinea) Matthew Taso 23 Papua Besena Josephine Abaijah 5 PNG Country Party Sinake Giregire 2 National Party (Papua New Guinea) Thomas Kavali 2 Mataungan Association 3 Independents – 27 General elections were held in Papua New Guinea between 18 June and 9 July 1977,Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p770 0-19-924959-8 the first since independence from Australia in 1975. The Pangu Party led by Prime Minister Michael Somare emerged as the largest in the National Parliament. Somare subsequently formed a coalition government with the People's Progress Party (PPP) and several independent MPs. Voter turnout was 60.3%. Background The usual four-year term of the House of Assembly was extended to five years shortly before independence, pushing back elections to the renamed National Parliament from 1976 to mid-1977. However, in June 1976 Prime Minister Michael Somare proposed holding early elections in November 1976. Although the proposal was approved by a vote of 45 to 40 in parliament, at least half of the 104 MPs were required to vote in favour for the motion to pass.No jumping PNG election gun Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1976, p18 Prior to the elections, the electoral system was changed from single transferable vote to first-past-the-post. Campaign Just under 900 candidates contested the elections, with between two and 21 candidates in each constituency. Ten candidates were women. Polling in the Abau Open constituency was postponed due to the death of a candidate.PNG's elections: A cliffhanger and a lesson for the future Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1977, pp16–17 Results Three women – Nahau Rooney, Waliyato Clowes and Josephine Abaijah – were elected, a number not repeated until 2012.Sepoe, Orovu, "To make a difference: Realities of women’s participation in Papua New Guinea politics", Development Bulletin, no. 59, 2002, p.40. (Electronic version https://web.archive.org/web/20090913081716/http://devnet.anu.edu.au/GenderPacific/pdfs/06_gen_civil_sepoe.pdf 2009-09-13 ) Nine ministers lost their seats, a number that increased to ten when Reuben Taureka was defeated in the delayed contest in Abau. Following the elections, most of the independents joined parties at the first sitting of parliament, with Pangu gaining a further ten seats, the PPP four and Papua Besena and the United Party one, leaving eleven members sitting as independents.Nohlen et al., p774 Pangu Pati 35 30 People's Progress Party 15 16 United Party 10 23 Papua Besena 5 5 Country Party 3 2 National Party 2 2 Mataungan Association 3 Independents 30 27 Vacant 1 970172 1607635 Nohlen et al., Pacific Islands Monthly Aftermath Following the elections, Michael Somare was elected Prime Minister, defeating John Guise (who was supported by the United Party) by 69 votes to 36. Somare established a coalition government of the Pangu Party, the People's Progress Party and some independent members, forming an 18-member cabinet. Kingsford Dibela was elected Speaker and Tei Abal of the United Party became Leader of the Opposition.Somare leads a new look team Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1977, p9 PositionMemberPartyPrime MinisterMichael SomarePangu PartyDeputy Prime MinisterJulius ChanPeople's Progress PartyMinister of CommercePita LusPangu PartyMinister of DecentralisationJohn MomisIndependentMinister of DefenceLouis MonaPeople's Progress PartyMinister of Education, Science and CultureOscar TammurIndependentMinister of Environment, Conservation and Human SettlementStephen TagoPangu PartyMinister of FinanceBarry HollowayPangu PartyMinister of Foreign Relations and TradeEbia OlewalePangu PartyMinister of HealthWiwia KoroweiPeople's Progress PartyMinister of Justice and Liquor LicensingDelba BiriPangu PartyMinister of Labour and IndustryJacob LemekiPeople's Progress PartyMinister of MediaTom KoraeaPangu PartyMinister of Natural ResourcesBoyamo SaliPangu PartyMinister of Police and Corrective InstitutionsPatterson LowaPangu PartyMinister of Public UtilitiesGabriel BakaniPeople's Progress PartyMinister of Transport, Works and SupplyBruce JephcottPeople's Progress PartyMinister of YouthPato KakaryaIndependent Later in 1977, Somare appointed four additional ministers; Yano Belo (PPP) as Minister for Works and Supply, Thomas Kavali (Independent) as Minister for Housing, Karl Kitchens as Minister for Minerals and Energy and Nahau Rooney (Independent) as Minister for Corrective Institutions and Liquor Licensing.Somare's team grows Pacific Islands Monthly, October 1977, p20 Rooney became the first woman to hold a cabinet portfolio in Papua New Guinea. See also Members of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea, 1977–1982 References Related links https://archive.today/20070712184335/http://www.binghamton.edu/cdp/era/elections/png77par.html Centre on Democratic Performance Election Results Archive Category:Elections in Papua New Guinea Papua General Category:National Parliament of Papua New Guinea Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results