Practising Politics in a Disorderly Democracy

Abstract

Taking as its starting point Ron May's scholarship on Papua New Guinea as a “disorderly democracy,” this article examines how politics is practised in the PNG Parliament. Using a case study of the events of late 2020, when a vote of no confidence against the Marape government was mooted but eventually failed to materialise, it adopts a practice theory lens to explore how decisions are made, how coalitions are formed and disintegrate, and how political power is won in PNG politics. It demonstrates that institutional explanations predicated on PNG's weakly institutional party system, and cultural explanations that foreground Melanesian traditions, are only part of the story. Tracing personal networks, examining new sites of political contestation, and taking account of the gendered nature of male-dominated PNG politics are also important in understanding how PNG politics is practised. The article seeks to contribute to a theory of PNG politics, highlighting that while it may be “disorderly,” it is nevertheless structured by practices and traditions.