Bougainville - Coming off a long way

[***aCe***]

IT was in 1976 that the first constitutional amendment was made to accommodate a provincial government system for Bougainville.
John Momis — the former Regional member of the province and now an intending candidate for the presidency was the brainchild of the decentralisation process.
All other provinces followed suit after Bougainville. Again, today will begin another historical milestone for Bougainville as well as Papua New Guinea, as Bougainville will be the first province to stage an election for an autonomous government.

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[laukai]

MR. Joseph Kabui the last Premier in the old North Solomons Provincial Government was elected to lead again this time as the President of the Bougainville Autonomous Government. He was declared by the Provincial Returning Officer JOSEPH KAIPU on saturday afternoon June 4th.
He polled 37,928 whilst his nearest rival and former Governor JOHN MOMIS polled only 28,861.

Immidiately after declared, MR. KABUI called a news conference and announced a three men caretaker government. He appointed the new member for Selau, Joseph Watawi as his deputy and appointed the central women's representative and new member Magdalen Toroansi.The caretaker team will be sworn in at Arawa on June 10th, 2005.

Meanwhile, the former governor, JOHN MOMIS also announced that he will not accept defeat as he had noticed alot of irregularities in the conduct of the polling. He said many people from the Central and South were forced to vote against their will and in the Konnou Constituensy in Buin the Mekamui group prevented people from voting and also he had reports that many people voted three to four times in the central Bougainville.



LAUKAI