Bougainville - 28 May 99 newsbriefs Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source - VIKKI@law.uts.edu.au Fri May 28 03:09:39 1999 Postcourier - 28 May 99 Congress at `snail's pace' THE Bougainville People's Congress meeting at the Marimari church in Arawa has elected its Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Proceedings were being conducted at a ``snail's pace'' and the congress was adjourned to this morning when the president and two vice presidents will be elected. In yesterday's election, the member for Makis in the Telei district of South Bougainville, Linus Konokung was elected Speaker, beating his only rival and member for Rotokas, Joe Pais, by 43 votes to 42. The Member for Mortlock, Tom Puaria, was elected unopposed as his deputy. Further details of this election could not be confirmed independently, but sources in Arawa said the meeting was conducted at a slow pace as a result of members arriving late for the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday. Yesterday however, it was the formalities of getting the first congress meeting to proceed that took up most of the day. By 2pm, the congress had not yet elected the Speaker and his deputy, who would then take over proceedings of the meeting and the congress. ``It's going on at a very slow pace and we expect this to happen. It's been a very long time for us Bougainvilleans to create something like this. This in fact is bringing all of us to come together despite what stand we have taken in the past. Today has been a very fruitful day for the people of Bougainville,'' the source offered. The result of the Speaker election came at the final hour of the day when Mr Konoking, the former Melanesian Alliance party strongman was voted to become the first Speaker for the historic congress. This morning the president's job, which is favored to be given to Joseph Kabui, and the two vice-presidents, are likely to be decided. The five women's representatives were also sworn in yesterday with the five from the BRA group. * US adds K1m for peace UNITED States Ambassador Arma Jane Karaer yesterday signed a cost sharing agreement for her government's contribution of more than K1 million to the United Nations Development Programme for the restoration and development of Bougainville. The program aims to support the reconciliation and peace process through rehabilitation, reconstruction and development activities that reduce poverty, restore basic conditions for economic growth, stability and an environment for sustainable human development. She said the US was also giving $US150,000 in technical help for the Electoral Commission whenever it conducted proper constitutional elections on Bougainville. She said they chose to work with UNDP because the US no longer has its own bilateral development program in the South Pacific. Mrs Karaer said they hoped that youths who had been fighters would become producers, to get families resettled on their land and to help people with small business programs. UN and UNDP resident co-ordinator Elizabeth Reid said the US contribution will support cocoa rehabilitation and development, youth and community development. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytpac-05.28.99-23:08:45-28755