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| National Party (Papua New Guinea) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Party |
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
National Party (Papua New Guinea) is a political party in Papua New Guinea that has contested national and provincial elections and participated in parliamentary coalitions. The party has fielded candidates in contests involving figures from Port Moresby, Lae, Madang, and Mount Hagen and has interacted with parties such as the Pangu Pati, People's National Congress (Papua New Guinea), National Alliance (Papua New Guinea), Papua New Guinea Party, and United Resources Party. Its activities have engaged institutions including the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea, the Electoral Commission of Papua New Guinea, and provincial administrations in Oro Province, Western Highlands Province, and Morobe Province.
The party emerged amid a post-independence landscape shaped by actors like Michael Somare, Michael Nali, Mekere Morauta, Peter O'Neill, and James Marape and during periods marked by events such as the Bougainville conflict and the 2007-2011 political crisis in Papua New Guinea. Early registrants included local leaders from constituencies such as Kairuku-Hiri, Gulf Province, Rabaul, and Simbu Province, competing alongside movements like People's Progress Party and Melanesian Alliance Party. The National Party's formation and candidate selections reflected tensions from the Constitution of Papua New Guinea debates and responses to international partners including Australia and agencies like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
The party has articulated positions on resource management debates connected to projects like the PNG LNG project, extractive sector disputes in Ok Tedi Mine and Porgera Gold Mine, and development strategies discussed with entities such as AusAID and United Nations Development Programme. Its platform references provincial autonomy issues relevant to Autonomous Region of Bougainville negotiations and policy frameworks similar to those debated in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea alongside proposals from Pangu Pati and People's National Congress (Papua New Guinea). Prominent themes have included landowner rights implicated in cases like the Frieda River Project, infrastructure priorities affecting corridors such as the Highlands Highway, and fiscal measures relating to the Treasury of Papua New Guinea.
Organizationally, the National Party has mirrored parliamentary party structures seen in parties like National Alliance (Papua New Guinea), with a central executive, regional representatives from provinces such as East Sepik Province and New Ireland Province, and constituency officers in electorates like Lae Open. Leadership contests have involved figures who previously worked in administrations under leaders such as Michael Somare and Mekere Morauta and have interacted with parliamentary roles including the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Leader of the Opposition (Papua New Guinea), and committee chairs in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. The party has registered candidates with the Electoral Commission of Papua New Guinea and coordinated campaign efforts with local councils and customary leaders in districts like Enga Province and West New Britain Province.
The National Party has contested national elections across cycles that included the 2002 Papua New Guinean general election, 2007 Papua New Guinean general election, 2012 Papua New Guinean general election, and 2017 Papua New Guinean general election, facing opponents such as Loyalty Islands politicians, independent MPs, and members of parties like Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party. Results have varied by electorate: some candidates won seats in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea while others were defeated amid vote-count disputes adjudicated by the National Court of Papua New Guinea and electoral petitions referencing the Organic Law on National and Local-level Government Elections.
In parliament the National Party has at times joined multi-party coalitions alongside People's National Congress (Papua New Guinea), Pangu Pati, and United Resources Party, negotiating positions in cabinets and committee assignments such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Petroleum and Energy Committee. Coalition bargaining has involved engagement with the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea during government formation and with crossbenchers from regions like New Britain and Bougainville. The party's influence has depended on seat counts during confidence motions and supply votes, interacting with constitutional mechanisms overseen by the Speaker of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea.
Legislatively, National Party members have sponsored or supported bills touching on resource-related statutes, amendments to laws regulating extractive operations like those governing the Mineral Resources Authority and frameworks related to the Liquified Natural Gas sector. The party has participated in debates on budget appropriations presented by the Treasurer of Papua New Guinea and in lawmaking on issues such as provincial decentralization and customary land administration that intersect with rulings by the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea. Its parliamentary motions have echoed concerns raised by civil society organizations and church leaders, including representatives from the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea.
The National Party has faced criticisms similar to those leveled at peers like People’s National Congress (Papua New Guinea) and National Alliance (Papua New Guinea) regarding candidate selection, alleged patronage in constituencies such as Hela Province, and positions on resource revenue sharing in debates involving companies like ExxonMobil and Newcrest Mining. Electoral petitions and disputes have drawn scrutiny from the Electoral Commission of Papua New Guinea and the Ombudsman Commission of Papua New Guinea in matters concerning compliance with the Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates. Civil society groups, landowner associations, and opposition figures including members aligned with Belden Namah and Don Polye have at times publicly challenged the party's stances.