Ishmael Toroama has retained the Bougainville Presidency after surpassing the absolute majority. Photo: Autonomous Bougainville Government
Ishmael Toroama, the incumbent president of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), has retained the Bougainville presidency after securing more than 90,000 votes in the 2025 general election.
The ABG said in a statement that Toroama surpassed the absolute majority of 69,629 following the completion of the quality check of the votes.
It said that the declaration confirms Toroama's mandate to continue leading Bougainville over the next five years during its political transition.
Bougainville's electoral chief Desmond Tsianai told RNZ Pacific on Friday that Toroama was "well ahead in terms of the votes he has collected across all three regions".
More than 239,000 registered voters in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region cast their ballots, where independence remains a key issue.
Ahead of the polls, Toroama told RNZ Pacific that he was not under pressure.
According to the Bougainville constitution, the ABG president can serve two terms in parliament.
