At stake in this election:

• 111 seats in the National Parliament

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Peter O'NEILL
• Assembly: Papua New Guinea has a unicameral National Parliament with 111 seats.

* The Queen is represented by the governor general Michael OGIO.

Description of electoral system:

• The Queen is hereditary head of state.
• Prime Minister is appointed by the governor-general.
• In the National Parliament 111 members are elected through an alternative voting system to serve 5-year terms.***

*** 89 members are elected from open electorates and 22 from provincial electorates.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: National Alliance Party (NA)
  • Leader: Michael SOMARE
  • Seats won in last election: 27
• Party: People's National Congress Party
  • Leader: Peter O'NEILL
  • Seats won in last election: 4
• Party: Triumph Heritage Empowerment Rural Party (T.H.E. Party)***
  • Leader: Don POLYE
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Papua New Guinea Party (PNGP)****
  • Leader: Mekere MORAUTA
  • Seats won in last election: 8
• Party: People's Progress Party (PPP)
  • Leader: Byron CHAN
  • Seats won in last election: 8
• Party: Papua and Niugini Union Party (PANGU)
  • Leader: Rabbie NAMALIU
  • Seats won in last election: 6
• Party: People's Action Party (PAP)
  • Leader: Mark SARONG
  • Seats won in last election: 6
• Party: People's Labor Party (PLP)
  • Leader: Ekis ROPENU
  • Seats won in last election: 4
• Independent(s): Indepedents
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: 21
• Party: United Resources Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: People's Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: People's United Assembly Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Melanesian Liberal Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: New Generation Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: People's Movement for Change Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Coalition for Reform Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: People's Democratic Movement Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: PNG Country Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: PNG Constitutional Democratic Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Our Development Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Indigenous People's Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: United Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Stars Alliance Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

*** Triumph is a split from the Party
**** The Papua New Guinea Party (PNGP) was formerly known as the People's Democratic Movement (PDM). It currently holds 25 seats because of defections from smaller parties.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 7,154,870 (2012)
• Registered Voters: 4,776,096 (June 2012)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 3,505,125 (2012)

·         Is Papua New Guinea a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Papua New Guinea ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (12 January 1995)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 3 (following the 2012 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 158 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Papua New Guinea a signatory to CRPD: Yes (2 June 2011)

·         Has Papua New Guinea ratified CRPD: Yes (26 September 2013)

·         Population with a disability: 1,073,230 (est.)