Chan, Julius (1939– )

Papua New Guinean right-of-centre politician, prime minister 1980–82 and 1994–97. He negotiated a ceasefire in the six-year-long separatist conflict on Bougainville island in 1994, but it failed to hold and fighting resumed. Chan also promoted privatization and reformed local government, abolishing the provincial tier, in 1995. He resigned as prime minister in March 1997, after riots in Port Moresby, which were triggered by his government's planned use of UK and South African mercenaries to combat Bougainville's guerrillas. He was reinstated in June 1997, after a commission of inquiry ruled that he was not guilty of misconduct. However, in the June 1997 general election his conservative, business-oriented People's Progress Party (PPP) lost much support and Chan failed to win his parliamentary seat.

Born on Tanga Island, New Ireland District, to the northeast of New Guinea, of mixed Melanesian and Chinese parentage, Chan studied agricultural science at the University of Queensland, Australia. He set up a shipping business and was first elected to the Papua New Guinea House of Assembly in 1968, forming, in 1970, the PPP. Between 1972 and 1977 Chan was finance minister, under Prime Minister Michael Somare of the Pangu Pati (PP), and from 1977 to 1978 was deputy prime minister and industry minister. He then took the UMP into opposition, before becoming prime minister in March 1980, when Somare lost a no-confidence vote.

He returned to opposition after the 1982 general election, won by Somare, before serving as deputy prime minister and trade and industry minister 1987–88 and finance minister 1985–87 and 1992–94 under Prime Minister Paias Wingti, of the People's Democratic Movement (PDM). When Wingti was forced to step down as prime minister in August 1994, after the Supreme Court ruled that recent elections had been invalid, Chan returned as prime minister, heading a broad coalition.