Though presumably independent of the United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea adopted a British-style parliamentary system and in 1977, the first general election was held. With numerous national parties clashing over turf and policies, and a population that speaks some 600 dialects, O'Rourke had a phenomenally perplexing event to cover. What emerged is an entertaining, often hilarious, portrait of a people suddenly saddled with Western-style politics doing their damndest to adapt the process to their own cultural milieu. The primary conflict was between two veteran politicos, the incumbent Prime Minister, Michael Somare, and the former Governor-General, Sir John Guise. But the real action was elsewhere, in the regional parties campaigning to dethrone the much-maligned "Coastal Boys." Here, the campaign trail was strewn with contradictions. We see one candidate canvassing votes with a rock-band, one in full tribal regalia with a bull-horn, while another ludicrously describes a ballot photo to his assembled constituency. The prevailing impression is one of chaos, of a country with rich cultural traditions colliding with dire economic and political dilemmas. O'Rourke's incisive analysis never fails to appreciate the heart-wrenching struggle to adapt to a brand of democracy imported from abroad. -Steve Seid