Seminar Series: Abstract

Bougainville's New Directions, 2009: Presidential By-Election, Forming a New Ministry, and First Steps of the New Leadership
Anthony Regan

The June 2008 death of the first President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), Joseph Kabui, led to a December 2008 presidential by-election. The first ABG election under a limited preferential voting system, it produced some interesting alliances and contests amongst the 14 candidates and the political parties endorsing them. In a low turn-out election, James Tanis prevailed, and was sworn in on 6th January 2009. In forming his new Cabinet, Tanis faced constraints flowing from Bougainville’s unusual form of parliamentary executive government and the apparent dominance of the Bougainville People’s Congress Party in the legislature. Those same constraints and the limited time till the next general election (May 2010) could be expected to restrict the room for new presidential policy initiatives. However, Tanis has so far found room for such initiatives, in relation to local conflict, weapons disposal and reconciliation, mining, least developed areas, and other matters.

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