Friday, April 29, 2011

Majority Votes and Monarchy

Queen Elizabeth II looking on with the rest of the world at the royal couple.

The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate (now Catherine—I approve of the name change :D ) Middleton has drawn worldwide attention, with millions of people carving out a good seat—whether by camping for days along the route to Westminster Abbey or simply clicking on the minute-by-minute updates provided by countless websites. Papua New Guinea was not exempt from the festivities; as a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations, Queen Elizabeth II is the chief of state, and thus her representatives, the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea Michael Ogio and his wife, were dignitaries at the wedding.

Officially, Papua New Guinea’s government is actually a “constitutional parliamentary democracy,” with universal suffrage over age 18. I find the governmental structure to be a fascinating mixture of direct vote and appointments. In this case, the governor-general, whose role is mainly ceremonial, is appointed by the chief of state (the current British monarch), but acting in agreement by the nomination of Parliament. The prime minister, who holds executive power, is usually the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the Parliament and is appointed into his position by the governor-general; currently, Sir Michael Somare has served as prime minister since August 2002, and works alongside his cabinet (called the National Executive Council) to administer his office.

The unicameral National Parliament holds 109 seats currently (allows up to 126), with members elected by popular vote from 19 provinces and the district of the capital city of Port Moresby to serve up to five-year terms (the next elections will be in June 2012). Papua New Guinea also has a Judicial Branch with several levels, culminating in the Supreme Court serving as the highest independent authority.

This morning, the world tuned in with their iPhones and webcams to watch gold-spangled uniforms surround fairytale open carriages, a colorful mix of modernity and tradition—and a condition that continues dramatically in Papua New Guinea’s own government.