Port Moresby, 19 March 2025 — Papua New Guinea’s Parliament has passed a significant constitutional amendment designed to protect incumbent Prime Ministers from repeated votes of no confidence (VONCs), following a period of intense political instability and shifting allegiances.
The change, passed during the 13 March 2025 parliamentary sitting, introduces a new 18-month grace period shielding a Prime Minister from further VONCs — but only if they have recently survived one. The amendment comes as Prime Minister James Marape faces a renewed VONC attempt lodged in November 2024, just months after overcoming a similar challenge in September.
Previously, PNG’s Constitution allowed for a grace period after a Prime Minister was appointed either following a general election or as a result of a VONC that changed leadership. However, no protection existed for Prime Ministers who survived a VONC. This amendment aims to close that gap.
Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane had unsuccessfully petitioned the Supreme Court to block the parliamentary process. Now, the opposition is preparing a legal challenge to the new law’s constitutionality. If the Supreme Court strikes it down, Prime Ministers would once again be vulnerable to unlimited VONCs outside the existing post-election grace period.
Crucially, the new amendment is not retroactive. Marape is still subject to the November 2024 VONC. However, if he survives it, the 18-month shield would kick in, protecting his position until the final year before the 2027 general election — a period during which VONCs are rare due to the risk of triggering an early dissolution of Parliament.
This gives the opposition just one remaining shot at removing Marape. If their candidate, long-serving Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, fails to win parliamentary support in the upcoming vote, Marape will be effectively secure in his position for the remainder of his term.
Marape appears to have the numbers. Eighty-four MPs supported the constitutional amendment; only four opposed it. But in PNG’s notoriously fluid political environment, allegiances can change overnight.
Ironically, Peter Ipatas had backed Marape during the September 2024 VONC but later agreed to challenge him in the November motion. Meanwhile, Rainbo Paita — who previously defected from Marape’s government and led a failed leadership challenge — has since rejoined the ruling coalition and now serves as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister.
Paita’s political journey highlights the instability that has characterised PNG politics for decades. Once a senior member of Marape’s government and the Pangu Pati, he broke away, rebranded an existing party, lured MPs from other camps, and mounted an unsuccessful bid for leadership — only to return to Marape’s fold within months.
Another frequent challenger, East Sepik Governor Allan Bird, was nominated multiple times as an alternative PM in previous VONC motions, but each attempt was rejected by Parliament’s Business Committee on procedural grounds.
While the amendment may offer temporary stability, critics warn it could have damaging long-term effects. Political analyst Michael Kabuni, writing on the DevPolicy Blog, argues that the change removes a vital safety valve in PNG’s democracy — one that has helped channel public dissatisfaction and maintain the country’s democratic resilience since independence in 1975.
“Removing this outlet could result in unpredictable consequences,” Kabuni writes, cautioning that in a politically corrupt environment, consolidating power could lead to abuse. He also challenges Marape’s frequent claim that political stability is key to economic growth, noting that PNG’s economic fortunes are more closely tied to resource projects and global commodity prices.
Kabuni argues the government should instead focus on longstanding reforms, such as revising the Organic Law on Political Parties and Candidates or implementing recommendations from the Constitutional Law Reform Commission’s review of the political system. He also calls for an end to the controversial Services Improvement Program, which provides constituency funds to MPs and is often seen as encouraging political opportunism.
As Papua New Guinea approaches its 50th year of independence, the amendment marks a significant moment in the evolution of its political system — one that could either usher in a new era of stability or set a dangerous precedent for executive immunity.