Nationalwahlen in Papua-Neuguinea 1997

Abstract Papua New Guinea (PNG) stretches eastward on the huge, bird-shaped island of New Guinea, which lies north of Australia. After British and German colonial rule, followed by Australian administration, PNG achieved independence in 1975. PNG inherited the Westminster Model of parliamentary democracy, and it is among the few countries of the Third World in which democratic patterns persisted without interruption or serious threat despite some social and political problems. Free elections are not the only, but an essential criterion for a functioning democratic system. The first free national election in PNG's postcolonial history was held in 1977. In 1997, about 3.2 million Papua New Guineans participated in the fifth parliamentary election since independence. With reference to the 1997 election this essay outlines the cultural, social, and political issues that accompany the realisation of democratic principles in PNG.