Parliament House

The Parliament House at Waigani is an iconic building in Papua New Guinea and is a must-see landmark whether parliament is sitting or not. Built-in the style of a Maprik Haus Tambaran (house of spirits from East Sepik Province), it was first created in 1964 as the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea and became the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea in 1975 when Independence was granted.  This building was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1984. This Parliament is a single chamber legislature consisting of 89 Members elected from open electorates and 22 Governors elected from Provincial electorates.  Papua New Guinea has a fractious political culture, and no party in the history of parliament has yet won a majority.  Parliament House is open to the public on weekdays (except for public holidays) and parliamentary staff are available to do guided tours for groups of visitors.  The grounds can also be explored.