Vincent Eri

Sir Vincent Serei Eri, GCMG (12 September 1936, in Moveave, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea – 25 May 1993, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea) was the fifth Governor General of Papua New Guinea and is often cited as being the first Papua New Guinean national to write a novel, The Crocodile in English. It was published in 1970 but Ligeremaluoga is quoted as having published a book called "The Noble Savage" in 1932. It was an account of his life up until approximately 1932.

Life

Eri attended the University of Papua New Guinea. Upon graduation, he worked as a school teacher and later became Director of Education. In 1975, he was appointed Papua New Guinea's first Consul General in Australia. He later was the founder of the People's Action Party in 1986 and a member of the National Parliament.

He succeeded Kingsford Dibela as Governor-General of Papua New Guinea on 27 February 1990. Shortly after taking office, he was faced with a constitutional crisis. Deputy Prime Minister Ted Diro had been found guilty of corruption. The constitution required the Governor-General to dismiss him, but he did not. This created some controversy, and there were calls for Eri himself to leave office, which he did not. Ultimately, Prime Minister Rabbie Namaliu sent a formal request to Queen Elizabeth II to replace him.

On 4 October 1991, before Namaliu's request could be acted upon, Eri resigned from office. He died at his home in Port Moresby on 25 May 1993, aged 57, leaving six children.

See also

• Culture of Papua New Guinea

References

• Lentz, Harris M., III. Heads of States and Governments. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 1994. ISBN 0-89950-926-6.
• Vincent Serei Eri, 57, Leader in Papua Land