Sir Mekere was born in Kukipi, Malalaua District, Gulf Province in 1946. An economics graduate, he also served as governor of the Reserve Bank and was once managing director of the Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation.

Morauta won an amazing endorsement by almost the entire Parliament when he became prime minister mid-term in 1999.

But that result was in doubt until moments before the session began and reflected confused capitulation of his opponents rather than wholehearted support.

Australia's regular public praise for Morauta (which followed its often expressed abhorrence of his predecessor, Bill Skate) was probably a burden for him to bear at home.

His resolute battle to get the PNG economy back on track and improve the bureaucracy had mixed results.

Some of his problems stemmed from the fact that he is not a political party man.

He stood as an independent in 1997 and took over Paias Wingti's Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) only after Wingti lost.

Sir Mekere won a tough fight in 2002 to keep his seat of Moresby North West which had rarely returned the sitting Member. But the PDM was routed. Had it held onto only half its seats then the constitutional changes he had convinced the Parliament to adopt to ensure greater political stability would have assured him of another term as prime minister. But Sir Michael Somare's National Alliance won more seats than the PDM thereby giving Sir Michael the front running.