Toroama is on the verge of holding talks for independence.The general election was the first since Bougainville voted overwhelmingly to separate from Papua New Guinea late last year, with Toroama beating an open field, Bougainville’s electoral commissioner said. However, the decisive result of last year’s referendum is non-binding. Former President John Momis, who has led Bougainville for the past 10 years and been a prominent local political leader and figure of stability for more than four decades, bowed out of the race, having served the maximum two terms in office. (2020 Referendum - Updated with Results) In 2012, we reported on Puerto Rico's chances at becoming the a state of the US, after the territory's people sort of voted for that . President-elect Ishmael Toroama after being declared the winner of the #Bougainville Presidential #election . Ishmael Toroama is set to lead the Autonomous Territory independence talks in eastern Papua New Guinea. The vote also starts just days after Bougainville registered its first confirmed Covid-19 case when a young student flew into Buka from the mainland.. All rights reserved. [1] A total of 342 candidates contested the election, involving the 33 constituency seats, three seats reserved for women and three seats reserved for former combatants in the Bougainville House of Representatives and the presidency itself. “The referendum was a turning point…looking at all the 25 candidates, people were looking for who could deliver and successfully talk about Independence [with the PNG Government],” Aloysius Laukai, Manager of the local New Dawn FM radio station, told IPS. The are both running on a similar platform as before: Maia Sandu runs on a though anti-corruption message, promising closer ties to the European Union. [2] September 15, 2020. Would you consider a $20.00 contribution today that will help to keep the IPS news wire active? After a delay in the elections, due to the pandemic, the country has set a date for the presidential election to run from August 12 to September 1. Dumarinu has increased his lead over the next group of candidates – Tsiamalili, Raivet, and Semoso – to 11,000. Thailand: Finance Minister Predee Daochai resigns. Much of the dispute has been disputed over how the profits from the lucrative Panguna gold and copper mine on Bougainville Island should be shared – and over the environmental damage caused by mining. Credit: Catherine Wilson/IPS. The campaigning and voting periods were reported as organised and peaceful, in spite of some. Yet, the PNG Government is known to not favour full secession, preferring the region to remain within a ‘united’ PNG under a form of greater autonomy. Former Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander, Ishmael Toroama, is starting to build a substantial lead after count 206 in the presidential vote. Toroama was a commander of the Secessionist Revolutionary Army of Bougainville, and then worked on the peace and disarmament process. Read headlines covering the presidential debates, results, and more. Innovations in Israel: Coronavirus Vaccine 4 Years Ahead. Long and complex negotiations between the PNG and Bougainville governments to agree the region’s new political status will occur over the coming months and years. Bougainville's youth pursue break from bloody past at presidential vote. Get the latest news coverage, live stream video, and photos on the 2020 Presidential Election. The islands of Bougainville were brought under the umbrella of the new Papua New Guinean nation in 1975. Speaking at a media conference this afternoon, Mr Manu says with the current counting phase, there is insufficient time to complete the scrutiny and counting process as per the initial election schedule. It is hoped the results will be announced by the middle of September. Bougainville’s fourth government will face enormous challenges in the next five-year term to build a weak economy, improve governance and the capacity of institutions, all still in need of reconstruction and development following widespread destruction on the islands during the conflict. Talks at the national level will be informed by input from local forums in Bougainville, comprising representatives of communities, ex-combatants, business leaders, women and youths. IPS is an international communication institution with a global news agency at its core, A three-week poll commences in mid-August with results expected by mid-September. Ishmael Toroama continues to extend his lead in the race for the Bougainville Presidential seat. This national electoral calendar for the year 2020 lists the national/federal direct elections that were and are scheduled to be held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. He led comfortably from the beginning when count started from South Bougainville, the to Central and North Bougainville. “I look forward to working with President-Elect Toroama in progressing consultations on the outcome of the recent referendum and securing long term economic development and a lasting peace for the people of Bougainville,” Marape said in a statement issued soon after the election results were announced. The new President was a commander in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, a guerrilla force which instigated an armed uprising following grievances about the environmental devastation and economic inequity associated with the foreign-owned Panguna mine. - Terms & Conditions. Live democratic and republican delegate counts, caucuses and primary results by state. Copyright © 2020 IPS-Inter Press Service. As part of the efforts aimed at protecting the votes of the electorate in Nigeria, as well as the mandate of political candidates, the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has set up a dedicated public portal, known as “The INEC Result Viewing (IReV),” where Nigerians can view election results, live, from polling units. Mr Toroama has led the presidential count tally since counting began for the top post in the region. raising the voices of the South and civil society on issues of development, globalisation, human rights and the environment The 2020 presidential election was then the first campaign during which Sandu and Dodon ran for office. 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CANBERRA, Australia, Sep 29 (IPS) - Ishmael Toroama, a former revolutionary leader and fighter during the decade long civil war which engulfed the remote islands of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the 1990s, has been elected the autonomous region's new … Papua New Guinea: In presidential elections in Bougainville held from August 12 to September 1, Ishmael Toroama wins with 61.4% of the vote against 38.6% for Simon Dumarinu after the final elimination of other candidates. Voters across Bougainville start heading to polling stations today [Wednesday August 12th] as a critical regional election gets underway. The peace agreement, signed in 2001, provided for establishing an autonomous government, which occurred in 2005, and a referendum on the region’s future political status. By contrast, the leading opposition presidential candidate, Tundu Lissu, a mere 13 percent, down from 40 percent for the lead 2015 candidate, Edward Lowassa. In parliamentary elections, 39 nonpartisan members are elected. Bougainville's main town of Buka. The new President was a commander in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, a guerrilla force which instigated an armed uprising following grievances about the environmental devastation and economic inequity associated with the foreign-owned Panguna mine. While also a pro-Independence advocate, Momis, a former Roman Catholic priest with extensive experience in peacetime politics, is a contrasting figure to Toroama. Your contribution will make a huge difference. “The reason why we say that he is the right person is because, in our Melanesian way of resolving conflicts, if you start the war then you are the one to resolve it,” Valei told IPS, adding that, “he [Toroama] will, of course, need support from very good advisors to lead as President.”. “The referendum was a turning point…looking at all the 25 candidates, people were looking for who could deliver and successfully talk about Independence [with the PNG Government],” Aloysius Laukai, Manager of the local New Dawn FM radio station, told IPS. This was the first election to be held after the … Specific dates are given where these are known. Despite having only one recorded case of COVID-19, to date, the Bougainville government declared a state of emergency in March, which led to the delay of the general election, originally planned during the first half of this year. But they are geographically located far from the PNG mainland and the islanders trace their ethnic and cultural kinship instead to the Solomon Islands, an archipelago to the immediate southeast of Bougainville. The field then mushroomed into an unprecedented more than 400 candidates vying for 40 parliamentary seats and 25 hopefuls for the presidency. This comes as PNG has now recorded over 200 cases of Covid-19 and 3 people have died. From the outset, it seemed like a repetition of the 2016 presidential election. The primary count for the Bougainville Presidential Seat has concluded with former BRA commander Ishmael Toroama finishing top with 27,459 votes. This is an updated and expanded version of that article, fully revised for next week's new Puerto Rico statehood referendum. He has not been a political leader or served in government administration, although he played a vital role in the peace talks which ended the conflict. His victory marks a break with the current administration, led by President John Momis, after the government candidate was eliminated earlier in the region’s preferential voting system. To give some context, Trump was challenging the legitimacy of the vote count that was posted at the end of the 2020 US Elections a little over a month ago. N BOUGAINVILLE Bougainville Electoral Commissioner, George Manu, today announced an extension in the counting period for the 2020 Bougainville General Elections. There were also two female candidates in the running: Ruby Miringka, a healthcare professional who has also worked for the Bougainville Referendum Commission, and Magdalene Toroansi, a former Bougainville Minister for Women. Toroama is sworn in on September 25. PNG’s Prime Minister, James Marape, has voiced his support and respect for the process ahead and the wishes of the Bougainville people. The final decision will then be ratified by the PNG Parliament. Aspirations for self-determination in the region pre-date both the civil war and PNG’s Independence. Toroama also faces huge public expectations to bring about the region’s long held dream of Independence. Toroama, who defeated 24 other presidential candidates, is a strategic choice. It is now tasked with carrying the autonomous region on a challenging political journey toward the long held local aspiration for nationhood. You have entered an incorrect email address! Campaigns for presidential and parliamentary elections are underway in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. No matter who will be the president or members of the 39-seat House of Representatives, a daunting task awaits – meaningfully progressing last December’s 97.7% vote for independence. Laukai claims that “the election was conducted well” and widely accepted as free and fair. Bougainville, a group of lush, mineral-rich islands in the South Pacific, has undergone little development since the end of a decade-long civil war that claimed the lives of 20,000 people in 1998. Following an almost unanimous 97.7 percent referendum vote in November of last year for Independence from PNG, the people of Bougainville returned to the polls last month to decide on a new government. The islands of Bougainville, with a population of about 300,000 people, are located more than 900 kilometres east of the PNG mainland. About 200,000 eligible voters would participate.” There are 410 polling teams: South Bougainville 120, North Bougainville 172 and Central Bougainville 118. He said rumours had been circulating unhappy candidates may not accept the results and there could be interference with the vote count. Last year’s non-binding independence ballot was part of the peace process that ended the conflict, although competing claims remain over development rights for the long-closed mine. More recently, he has been a successful cocoa farmer. His achievements include serving in the national parliament, playing a major role in the region’s peace negotiations and serving as Bougainville’s governor after the conflict from 1999 to 2005. More recently, he has been a. Geraldine Valei, Executive Officer of the Bougainville Women’s Federation, offered another perspective on the overwhelming support Toroama received at the ballot box. Toroama also faces huge public expectations to bring about the region’s long held dream of Independence. Bougainville hit the world headlines in 1989 when an indigenous landowner uprising against the then Rio-Tinto majority owned Panguna copper mine on Bougainville Island escalated into a civil war which raged on until a ceasefire in 1998. “We will do the same for the Bougainville regional seat by-election. Acting electoral commissioner Simon Sinai confirmed that the Government had approved K15 million for the by-election and preparations were progressing well in collaboration with the Bougainville Electoral Commission. As for the presidential election results, official results announced by the NEC give incumbent CCM presidential candidate, John Magufuli, 84 percent, up from 58 percent in 2015. The outcome of this November’s election will be crucial to Palau’s response to the economic crisis, as whoever will win the polls will be confronted by the impacts of COVID-19 well beyond 2020. Bougainville's retiring President, John Momis, called for the maintenance of law and order amid concerns unsuccessful election candidates would cause disruption. President-elect Ishmael Toroama after being declared the winner of the #Bougainville Presidential #election. As of count 102, the former Revolutionary Leader is leading the pool of 25 candidates with 12, 562 votes. President Momis said past elections were about forming a government to make developments happen and bring services to the people in the region. Following an almost unanimous 97.7 percent referendum vote in November of last year for Independence from PNG, the people of Bougainville returned to the polls last month to decide on a new government. “I look forward to working with President-Elect Toroama in progressing consultations on the outcome of the recent referendum and securing long term economic development and a lasting peace for the people of Bougainville,”, Post-War Truth and Justice Still Elusive in Bougainville, Bougainville Women Turn Around Lives of ‘Lost Generation’, A Peaceful Decade but Pacific Islanders Warn Against Complacency, Marape said in a statement issued soon after the election results were announced, Indigenous Leaders want Traditional Knowledge to be Centrepiece of New Global Biodiversity Framework, A Pakistani Farmer is Using Technology to Stop Agricultural Exploitation, Uganda’s School Plan for Refugee Children Could Become a Global Template, Education Cannot Wait. CANBERRA, Australia, Sep 29 2020 (IPS) - Ishmael Toroama, a former revolutionary leader and fighter during the decade long civil war which engulfed the remote islands of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the 1990s, has been elected the autonomous region’s new President ahead of high-level talks about its political future. Toroama is still more than 13,000 votes ahead of the second-placed candidate Fr Simon Dumarinu, while former Bougainville president James Tanis found himself eliminated. Alluding to the stakes ahead, Momis called for unity as voters turned out to cast their ballots from Aug. 12 to Sept. 1. There is no deadline for this process, but Toroama has indicated he would like a decision reached within two to three years. At one point, ahead of the officials calling the election, Trump was even seen claiming that the vote counts are already in the billionaire business magnate's favour and he has won the said election "by a huge margin". CANBERRA, Australia, Sep 29 2020 (IPS) - Ishmael Toroama, a former revolutionary leader and fighter during the decade long civil war which engulfed the remote islands of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the 1990s, has been elected the autonomous region’s new President ahead of high-level talks about its political future. THE 2020 Bougainville’s General Election is unique unlike past elections because it is about Bougainville making a bold decision to become free says Honorable President Grand Chief Dr. John Momis. Former President John Momis, who has led Bougainville for the past 10 years and been a prominent local political leader and figure of stability for more than four decades, bowed out of the race, having served the maximum two terms in office. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. Find the latest news, photos and videos from the 2020 United States presidential election. With counting of the northern votes happening through the weekend, Toroama has established a buffer of more than 2200 votes over second placed Father Simon Dumarinu. Geraldine Valei, Executive Officer of the Bougainville Women’s Federation, offered another perspective on the overwhelming support Toroama received at the ballot box. Copyright © 2020 IPS-Inter Press Service. The 2015 presidential and parliamentary election was held in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville between 11 May and 25 May 2015. Last week the election results in Papua New Guinea’s autonomous region of Bougainville were announced. Presidential Election In Bougainville. All rights reserved. He will be supported in a caretaker government for the next two weeks by his new Vice President, Patrick Nisira, MP for Halia constituency in North Bougainville, and Therese Kaetavara, Women’s Representative for South Bougainville. Former rebel military commander Ishmael Toroama has been elected president of Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, election officials said on Wednesday. The National Independent Electoral Commission released the final vote count of the presidential election. Future of Education is here, San Salvador Steps Up Battle against Landslides and Floods, Online Violence, Fueled by Disinformation and Political Attacks, Deeply Harms Women Journalists, How Africa can Lead the World in the COVID-19 Recovery. Voting would be for one day for the entire region. He has not been a political leader or served in government administration, although he played a vital role in the peace talks which ended the conflict. Looking ahead, economic experts claim that, with a weak economy and heavy dependence on international aid and funding from the national government, Bougainville would face a long period of transition to being an economically viable state, potentially up to 20 years. 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