2025 Bougainvillean general election

2025 Bougainvillean general election

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Presidential election

Candidate Ishmael Toroama Joe Lera Thomas Raivet Party Bougainville People's Alliance Party New Bougainville Party Bougainville United Front Party   Candidate Sam Kauona Nick Peniai Louis Smit Party Independent New Bougainville Party Independent   Candidate Wilfred Higei Party Independent

Incumbent President Ishmael Toroama Bougainville People's Alliance Party

General elections were held in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville on 5 September 2025 to elect the president and House of Representatives. ^[1] It was the first election in Bougainville to be held in a single day. ^[2] A total of 46 seats were contested in the House of Representatives following the introduction of five single-member constituency seats. ^[3]

Electoral system

On 6 February 2025, the Autonomous Bougainville Government announced that general elections would be held on 4 September 2025. ^[3] However, a day before the election, Bougainville's electoral commissioner Desmond Tsianai said that voting had been postponed to 5 September 2025, as ballot papers, which had been printed in Port Moresby, were not completed and delivered to Buka constituency on time. Tsianai also cited quality control issues with respect to serial numbers and noted that the final delivery of ballot papers to Bougainville, which had been scheduled on 23 August, was not held until 2 September, leaving regional authorities unable to distribute them to constituencies on time. The postponement will affect all constituencies except Atolls, which would vote as scheduled on 4 September. ^[4] Additional delays in material caused voting in Central Bougainville to be moved again to 8 September. ^[5]

Around 238,000 people were eligible to vote in the election. ^[6]

Candidates

There were seven candidates running for the presidency. ^[6] A total of 404 candidates ran for seats in the House of Representatives. This included 34 women. Fourteen of them stood in the three seats reserved for women, while 20 others contested open electorates. ^[7]

President

• Joe Lera (New Bougainville Party), member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea ^{[2] [8] [9]}
• Ishmael Toroama (Bougainville People's Alliance Party), incumbent president of Bougainville (since 2020) ^{[2] [10] [9]}
• Thomas Raivet (Bougainville United Front Party), former Papua New Guinea Defence Force officer ^{[2] [9]}
• Sam Kauona (Independent), former Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander ^{[2] [11] [9]}
• Nick Peniai (New Bougainville Party) ^[9]
• Louis Smit (Independent) ^[9]
• Wilfred Higei (Independent) ^[9]

Conduct

Voting was held in 544 polling stations from 8am to 4pm Bougainville Standard Time and involved around 3,000 staff. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems deployed observers to monitor the election. ^{[6] [4]} Ballot-counting is scheduled from 9 to 21 September. ^[12]

References

1. "Bougainville general election dates announced". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. 6 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
2. "Bougainville 2025 election: What's at stake?". ABC Australia. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
3. "Bougainville announces dates for 2025 elections". Radio New Zealand. 6 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
4. "Bougainville polling pushed back to Friday". Radio New Zealand. 3 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
5. "Polling begins today in Port Moresby for Autonomous Bougainville Government". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
6. "Bougainville election campaigning to finish Tuesday midnight". Radio New Zealand. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
7. "Bougainville election: Record 34 women vie for parliamentary seats". ABC Australia. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
8. "Veteran Bougainville politician wants new approach to independence and development". Radio New Zealand. 22 July 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
9. "Autonomous Region of Bougainville: Election for Bougainvillean Presidency (Bougainvillean Presidency)". IFES. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
10. "Bougainville's president Toroama: Part 3 - a candidate in four elections". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
11. "Ex-rebel leader 'General' Kauona is brimming with confidence in Bougainville presidential race". Radio New Zealand. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
12. "'We want legitimate leaders': Bougainvilleans head to the polls amid push for independence". Radio New Zealand. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.