Last week, Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama was confirmed as the decisive winner of the region’s presidential election, indicating that he has broad support as he seeks to secure Bougainville’s independence from Papua New Guinea during his second term in office.
Toroama received 90,448 votes, defeating six other candidates and far surpassing the absolute majority needed to win the presidency. His closest competitor, former member of parliament Joe Lera, received only 17,248 votes. It’s the first time anyone has won the Bougainville presidency with only primary votes, rather than forcing a runoff.
Toroama has championed independence all his life. He joined the Bougainville Revolutionary Army at age 19, rising to the rank of commander during Bougainville’s civil war with Papua New Guinea and working as Bougainville’s chief of defense during the peace process that ended the conflict.
The Bougainville P
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