DP55 Papua New Guinea election results: trends and patterns 1972-2012

Development Policy Centre Discussion Paper No. 55

By Terence Wood

February 2017

This paper draws on the new Papua New Guinea Election Results Database to describe trends in key electoral features in Papua New Guinea. It provides contextual background and electoral history. It discusses trends in candidate numbers and winning candidate vote shares. It looks at incumbent turnover and how long the typical MP stays in parliament. It discusses the performance of women candidates and it looks at the impact of limited preferential voting. Where appropriate, the paper looks both at trends over time and differences across the different regions of Papua New Guinea.

Wood, T. 2017, ‘Papua New Guinea election results: trends and patterns 1972-2012’, Discussion Paper No. 55, Development Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra.

Karen Downing

Karen Downing is Research Communications Coordinator at the Development Policy Centre.