Papua New Guinea prime minister retains power at election

Prime Minister James Marape has been returned to power following national elections in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape has been returned to power following elections in the South Pacific Island nation.

Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported from the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby that Marape was nominated unopposed to lead the next coalition government when Parliament sat on Tuesday for the first time since the election.

Parliament resumed despite only 104 of 118 seats being declared by Tuesday. Counting continues in the remainder.

Marape’s Pangu Party holds 36 of those seats, 20 more than the next most successful party.

The leading contenders to lead the new government had been Marape and his predecessor who resigned in 2019, Peter O’Neill.