Bougainville News 27 Apr 99 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source: VIKKI@law.uts.edu.au Tue Apr 27 00:33:11 1999 Postcourier - 27 April 99 Bougainville elections hitched by Momis case THE Bougainville Reconciliation Government elections were postponed at the last minute on Friday afternoon. A directive from the Minister for State assiting the Prime Minister on Bougainville Affairs, Sam Akoitai, advising that the elections had been postponed for about a week, was received at 3.30pm on Friday in Buka, with election officials advised accordingly. The reason and the nature of the postponement was that the Supreme Court would be ruling on a court case involving Bougainville Regional Member John Momis and the NEC. Chief returning officer on Bougainville, Mathias Pihei, expressed satisfaction with the instruction, saying it would give his officers time to sort out minor administrative arrangements for the elections to run smoothly. The directive to postpone the elections reached the island just before the Bougainville delegation returned from New Zealand. On arrival, co-chairman of the Bougainville Constituent Assembly, Gerard Sinato, formally announced that the elections would be postponed, until after the Supreme Court ruling on the case between Johna Momis and the NEC. Mr Pihei said his officers were prepared to get the polling underway as scheduled until the announcement for the postponement was made. Mr Pihei said new dates would not be issued until after the Supreme Court ruling was handed down. Mr Pihei also reconfirmed that the Resistance force on Bougainville had retracted threats made to polling officials. The Resistance force has been making threats to disrupt the elections. The latest was made last Tuesday in a letter given to Mr Pihei, with copies to helicopter companies in Buka, informing them not to transport ballot boxes until their leader returned from the talks. ``I am very pleased with the outcome of New Zealand talks which to me has shown the type of spirit that is prevailing among the leaders of Bougainville. Polling officials and myself have recovered the confidence and will now freely conduct the elections without fear whenever the new dates will be announced,'' he said. On the Makatana/Okataina understanding signed last Thursday by leaders of all factions on Bougainville, Mr Pihei said the agreements must be hailed by all Bougainvilleans. He said once again the leaders had shown that there was a spirit of understanding among them. ``It has addressed the basic issues of the disagreements by factions and I only hope it can continue to guide our leaders as we continue the peace process,'' he saidResistance forces chairman Hillary Masiria has called for all Bougainvillean leaders to be united as from the signing of this agreement. He will be issuing a statement in the next few days. Joel Banam, chairman of Leitana Council of Elders, was in a happy mood and also will make an official statement soon. "THE people of Bougainville have taken the postponement calmly" People interviewed from the areas of Buka and Kokopau on the northern tip of Bougainville have expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the New Zealand talks and the postponement of the elections. They have called on the leaders to be united for a longer lasting solution instead of continuing to create confusion for the people. A candidate for the Selau constituency, Peter Basik, expressed concern at the postponement, saying the leaders and the National Government were only confusing the people further. He said Bougainville was a special case and therefore the elections should go ahead. He said however, that there needed to be an awareness campaign to inform people on the reasons for the postponement. ================================================================= 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-05.01.99-13:28:33-173