Papua New Guinea’s parliament has elected former finance minister James Marape as the country’s new prime minister [Source: Twitter]

Papua New Guinea’s Parliament has elected James Marape as new prime minister after outgoing leader Peter O’Neill resigned following weeks of political turmoil.

Marape, who quit as finance minister in April over a gas deal with France’s Total he called too generous to the oil major, was the front-runner sources said ahead of the vote. He was elected by an overwhelming majority.

Political instability is not unusual in the poverty-stricken but resource-rich country, but Marape’s defection from the government earlier tapped into growing concern over governance and resource benefits not reaching the poor.

Those concerns ultimately led to O’Neill’s official resignation on Wednesday.