The 98% result is above pre-referendum predictions - most experts expected the figure to be around 75% - 80%. SYDNEY (Reuters) - Former rebel military commander Ishmael Toroama has been elected president of Bougainville, an autonomous part of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific, electoral officials said on Wednesday, and is set to lead talks seeking independence. Video, Mick Fleetwood surprises viral Dreams TikTok star, White House hosted Covid 'superspreader' event, says Dr Fauci, Covid: The latest on Trump's health in seven graphics, Mali hostages: Swiss woman killed last month, Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer was 'moved around' as FBI tracked militia 'plot', Covid-19: PM to detail new measures to MPs on Monday, Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan agree ceasefire. "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," Mr Marape said. One Bougainvillian, nursing graduate Alexia Baria, told news agency AFP that "happiness was an understatement". Mineral-rich Bougainville island has been hampered by years of little economic progress following a decade-long civil war that claimed as many as 20,000 lives before ending in 1998. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Bougainville had a nine-year separatist war that began in 1988, fuelled by economic grievance. Former military commander Toroama wants a swift independence deal. White House hosted 'superspreader' event - Fauci. The islands have a population of around 300,000, and 206,731 people enrolled to vote in the referendum.
Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Former rebel military commander Ishmael Toroama has been elected president of Bougainville, an autonomous part of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific, electoral officials said on Wednesday, and is set to lead talks seeking independence.

You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Plans to reopen the mine, which could help fund an independent Bougainville, have stalled due to competing claims over development rights over the long-shuttered Panguna mine. The new country - should it happen - would be small, with a land mass of less than 10,000 sq km (slightly larger than Cyprus, and slightly smaller than Lebanon). Read about our approach to external linking. Mineral-rich island hampered by years of stalled economic progress following decade-long civil war Mineral-rich Bougainville island has been hampered by years of little economic progress following a decade-long civil war that claimed as many as 20,000 lives before ending in 1998. Will this place become the world's next country?

One estimate cited by the Lowy Institute says Bougainville would only have 56% of the revenue needed to be self-reliant. Video, Royal Ballet back on stage with social distancing, The US women leading a 'wine-fuelled rebellion' Video, The US women leading a 'wine-fuelled rebellion', How history was made in the 2020 science Nobels. During the election campaign, Toroama said there was a time for war, a time for reconciliation and a time to build a new nation. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville takes major step towards independence, Coronavirus: Chinese mining company tests vaccine on Papua New Guinea workers ‘without country’s permission’, Coronavirus: Papua New Guinea set to lift lockdown despite recent surge in cases, One man’s battle against the ‘environmental terrorists’ destroying Papua New Guinea, Ross Kemp clip resurfaces of moment guerilla soldiers aimed guns at him in Papua New Guinea, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. Reporting by Jonathan Barrett; Editing by Richard Pullin and Michael Perry. Bougainville, with a population of around 250,000 and now reliant on financial support from the Papua New Guinea capital, has since fallen to the bottom of almost every financial indicator, despite boasting mineral riches, fertile volcanic soil and stunning geography. VideoMick Fleetwood surprises viral Dreams TikTok star, Unknown Nigerian 'masterpiece' goes up for auction, Hong Kong's last authentic junk in troubled waters, .css-orcmk8-HeadlineContainer{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;}White House hosted Covid 'superspreader' event, says Dr Fauci.css-1dedj2h-Rank{-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;color:#B80000;margin-left:3.125rem;}1, Covid: The latest on Trump's health in seven graphics2, Mali hostages: Swiss woman killed last month3, Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer was 'moved around' as FBI tracked militia 'plot'4, Covid-19: PM to detail new measures to MPs on Monday5, Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan agree ceasefire6, US election 2020 polls: Who is ahead - Trump or Biden?7, 'Real and imminent' extinction risk to whales8, Gracious David-West: Nigerian serial killer sentenced to death in Port Harcourt9, Ferraris and frustration: Two faces of South Africa's corruption battle10. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Likewise, its population would be one of the world's smallest - slightly smaller than Pacific neighbour Vanuatu, and slightly bigger than Barbados. Although the PNG government was against independence, and does not have to accept the result, the huge mandate will make it hard to ignore. The people of Bougainville, an island group in Papua New Guinea, have voted overwhelmingly for independence.
We are on our way,” he said. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. The islands attempted to declare independence during the formation of Papua New Guinea in 1975 - but they were ignored. "Now, at least psychologically, we feel liberated," said John Momis, president of the regional autonomous government. The country is rich in natural resources - especially copper, which has been extracted on a large scale since the 1960s under Australian administration. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Discussion over how Bougainville would sustain its independence is likely to dominate independence negotiations, with one senior Bougainville politician estimating the transition could take 10 years, as the region would need to rebuild its institutions. Of the 181,000 ballots, almost 98% were in favour of independence. The referendum was approved by the Papua New Guinea government, but the result is non-binding. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium.