Prime Minister James Marape has urged MPs to prioritise their health. Photo: AFP/Ness Kerton
The death of Works Minister Solan Mirisim (Telefomin, West Sepik) this week has once again exposed a sobering reality in Papua New Guinea: a surge in the deaths of serving MPs over a short span of years, marking one of the most unusual and destabilising periods in the country's post-Independence political history.
Since 2022, twelve sitting MPs and provincial governors have died while still in office - almost a tenth of the total 118 seats.
In 2022, only weeks before the national election, Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil (Bulolo, Morobe) died following a road accident in Morobe.
Over the next ten weeks, two more MPs - Chris Nangoi (Sumkar, Madang) and William Nakin (North Bougainville) - passed away, followed later in the year by Kevin Isifu (Wewak Open, East Sepik). Their deaths were treated as isolated tragedies.
In 2023, the country lost another three sitting members: Gabriel Kapris (Maprik Open, East Sepik) in August, Steven Pim (Dei, Western Highlands) in September, and Maso Karipe (Porgera-Paiela, Enga) in November.
The following year opened with the death of former Education Minister Jimmy Uguro (Usino-Bundi, Madang), bringing the total to eight. By the end of 2024, it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: PNG was experiencing an unusually high number of parliamentary deaths in a short period of time.
The trend continued into 2025. Simon Dumarinu (Central Bougainville) died in August. Then two of the country's most prominent leaders - Luther Wenge (Morobe Provincial) and Sir Julius Chan (New Ireland Provincial) - passed away within months of each other.
The year ended with another loss when Solan Mirisim (Telefomin, West Sepik) died on 2 December 2025.
In 2024, Prime Minister James Marape acknowledged the growing concern, urging MPs to prioritise their health amid what he described as relentless public pressure and constant demands on their time.
"I urge all MPs to look after their health, given the immense pressure and scrutiny they are under 24/7 from their people," he said, extending condolences to the families of the MPs who have died.
"We have lost several MPs recently, and I call on every one of them to be more conscious of their health."
The geographic spread of these deaths tells its own story. Losses have occurred in Morobe, Western Highlands, Enga, East Sepik, Madang, West Sepik, Bougainville and New Ireland.
Few regions have been untouched. Each death triggers a ripple effect: a seat becomes vacant, a provincial government loses leadership, district work stalls and by-elections - which are expensive and difficult to run - must be organised.
Some constituencies have gone months without elected representation as the Electoral Commission navigates funding constraints, logistical challenges and security concerns.
For remote electorates like Telefomin, losing an MP can delay essential projects for long periods. By-elections are costly in any country, but PNG's terrain and security challenges magnify the burden.
Charter flights, police deployments, fuel, temporary polling teams and the transport of materials into isolated communities significantly increase administrative pressure.
Inside Parliament, the deaths have required repeated reshuffles of ministers, committees and provincial delegations.
The loss of Basil (Bulolo), Uguro (Usino-Bundi) and Mirisim (Telefomin) affected some of the largest and most complex departments in government - Treasury, Education and Works - interrupting policy momentum at sensitive times.
Each MP's death has its own circumstances, and it would be simplistic to attribute them to a single cause.
Medical care is not always readily accessible, especially for MPs who regularly travel by road or small aircraft to remote districts.
