The council is presided over by the prime minister. Monash University, Australia and visiting law lecturer of the University of Papua New Guinea. The democratic system in PNG is strong and uncompromising to the extent that the three Prime Ministers and the respective Governments were voted out of office by a single vote of no confidence in the post independence period. In the recently concluded parliamentary elections a new government was returned to office. As many as fifteen ministers and many sitting members lost their seats in parliament including two former prime ministers.
Agriculture is the most important economic activity in Papua New Guinea.
Coconuts, sweet potatoes, bananas and yams are important crops. Commercial crops are dominated by coffee, cocoa and copra. Livestock includes cattle, pigs, goats and poultry. The monetary unit of Papua New Guinea is the kina, which is divided into 100 toea. The leading exports are gold, coffee, cocoa, and timber.