The People's National Congress is a political party in Papua New Guinea. Its former leader Bill Skate served as Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999 and as speaker of Parliament from 2002 to 2004. Skate died in 2006 and the party was led by Peter O'Neill until 2022. PNC originated from the National Capital District where former leader (late Bill Skate) was the Governor of NCD and the Parliamentary Member. The party had 16 members in the 113-seat National Parliament of Papua New Guinea as of December 2022. History The party was founded in 1993. It merged with the Christian Country Party and a number of smaller parties in April 1998 to form the PNG First Party, but split in June 1999 into a revived People's National Congress and a revived National Party. At the National General elections of 2002, the party won 2 of 109 seats. At the 2007 election, the party won 4 seats. It became a member of the coalition government led by Michael Somare's National Alliance, and received two cabinet positions. Following that on August 2, 2011, nine years after holding the position of Prime Minister, the National Alliance coalition government led by Michael Somare was superseded by the PNC Party led Peter O'Neill coalition alongside PNG Party Leader Belden Namah, and Parliament Speaker Jeffery Nape, who was responsible for determining that the office of the Prime Minister was vacant in the Papua New Guinean Constitutional Crisis. Peter O'Neill was thereafter elected Prime Minister, resulting in a political impasse between the O'Neill-Namah led coalition majority and the Somare led-minority. The nation underwent a number of difficulties and court action was brought forward against the two political groups. The police force and defence force were divided, and there was the possibility of a possible military coup and mutiny, followed by a police mutiny and public demonstrations funded by the various interest parties. The party fared well in the National General Elections of 2012 with Leader Peter O'Neill and Deputy Leader Job Pomat, led by with its free education and free health policy platform winning 27 seats nationally. In the 9th Parliament the party holds 12 Ministries, as well as the Deputy Speaker position and the Prime Ministership. Deputy Leader Job Pomat lost his seat of Manus Open to Ronny Knight, and was subsequently replaced as Deputy Party Leader by Mao Zeming of Tewa Siassi Open. In the