James Marape

Marape was born in 1971 in Tari, Southern Highlands Province. He attended Minj Primary School and Kabiufa Adventist Secondary School in the PNG highlands. Marape graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Papua New Guinea in 1993, and a postgraduate Honours Degree in Environmental Science in 2000.[2]

He has a background in managerial functions. From 1994-1995 he was Officer in charge at the PNG Institute of Medical Research, Tari Branch. From 1996-1998 he was Operations Manager of GDC at the Hides Gas project. After obtaining his honors degree , he became Acting Assistant Secretary of Policy with the Department of Personnel Management from 2001 to 2006.[3]

Marape (right) with American politician Mike Honda in 2012

His entry into politics was tumultuous. Marape first contested the Tari-Pori seat at the 2002 election for the People's Progress Party, when voting in the Southern Highlands Province was cancelled due to widespread violence.[4][5] He contested the supplementary election in 2003 but lost to incumbent MP Tom Tomiape in a contest marred by the bashing of a polling official by his supporters.[6][7] He challenged the result in the Court of Disputed Returns, but both his initial petition and a subsequent appeal were rejected.[8][9][10] He contested the seat for a second time at the 2007 election and defeated Tomiape. [11] He won the subsequent parliamentary elections in Tari-Pori. ( 2012 and 2017). He obtained in 2017 50%+1 of the vote (30,192 votes) and this is unusual in PNG’s Limited PV system. [12] A challenge by the second runner up Justin Haiara was dismissed by the National Court.[13]

Prime Minister Michael Somare gave him major parliamentary responsibilities after his win in 2007: Parliamentary Secretary for Works, Transport and Civil Aviation, Deputy Chair of the Privileges Committee and member of the Parliamentary Referral Committee on Inter-Government Relations.[He was Minister for Education from 16 December 2008 to 2 August 2011.He was then a member of Somare’s National Alliance Party. In February 2012, he left the National Alliance Party and joined the party of Prime Minister O’Neill, the People's National Congress (PNC).O’Neill appointed him as Finance Minister in 2012.[14]

On 11 April 2019, he resigned as Minister for Finance but remained a member of People's National Congress and the Government.[15] However, he resigned from the party on 29 April 2019. Sam Basil was appointed as Minister for Finance on 18 April 2019.[16]

He resigned from PNC soon after his resignation as Cabinet Minister. Marape joined the MPs plotting a vote of no confidence in the O’Neill government. He was elected as alternate Prime Minister on 7th of May 2019. [17]On the 17th of May the Ombudsman Commission recommended a leadership tribunal to judge O’Neill and Marape on the UBS loan to acquire shares in Oil Search Limited.[18] That was mentioned as the reason for Marape’s replacement as alternate MP by Patrick Pruaitch on 28 of May 2019. Marape introduced Patrick Pruaitch as alternate MP and declared that the vote for Pruaitch was by consensus.[19] Peter O’Neill had then resigned as Prime Minister on 26th of May.[20] However, Marape and not Pruaitch emerged from the succession struggle. Marape and 26 opposition MPs that had belonged to PNC returned to the PNC. As a result the opposition did not have the numbers anymore for a vote of no confidence. [21] The resignation of O’Neill necessitated the election of a new Prime Minister. Marape obtained In these subsequent election with 101 votes against 8 for Mekere Morauta.[22] O’Neill expected that his Cabinet would continue as usual with him as parliamentary leader instead of Prime Minister. However, Marape appointed people who had opposed the O/Neill/Able government. After a few months Marape clashed with O’Neill and directed him to the opposition benches,[23] Marape had joined Pangu Party. before he rejoined PNC. In August 2019 he accepted the leadership of Pangu Party.[24]In a Cabinet reshuffle on 8th of November Marape replaced most of the Cabinet Ministers.O’Neill continues to be critical. He opposes especially Marape’s view of the economy. He stresses that Marape is as responsible for the state of affairs as O’Neill: he was minister of finance.[25]

James Marape is a member and leader of the Huli people, one of the country's largest tribes and ethnic groups. Marape's father was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor with Marape identifying with the church as well.[26] Marape is married to Rachael Marape, who is originally from East Sepik Province. The couple have six children.[27][28]

On being sworn in, Marape said he wants Papua New Guinea to be "the richest black Christian nation" in the world.[29]