James Marape, a former Papua New Guinea finance minister, took over as the country's new prime minister May 30 following the resignation of Peter O'Neill, media outlets reported.

Papua New Guinea's parliament voted 101-8 to elect Marape as prime minister following the resignation of O'Neill, who ruled the country since 2011, according to The (U.K.) Guardian. O'Neill was expected to face a vote of no-confidence that he looked all but certain to lose.

O'Neill had drawn flak for signing a $13 billion LNG production deal with Total SA and Exxon Mobil Corp. in April amid complaints that the country would not benefit from the project, Reuters and the South China Morning Post said. Marape resigned as finance minister in protest of the LNG deal and later joined the opposition.