BOUGAINVILLE PEOPLES CONGRESS MEDIA STATEMENT BOUGAINVILLE, 28 May 1999 Att: NEWS DESK A mile stone in the PEACE PROCESS on Bougainville was achieved today with the formal election of the President of the newly established, Bougainville Peoples Congress. The honorable President, Mr Joseph Canisius Kabui, was elected with an overwhelming majority of 77 votes. His nearest rival, his fellow co-chairman and former ex-Premier Gerard Sinato, scored only 10 votes. The total number of Congress men and women voting was 87. The scene after the voting was explosive with great jubilation as the Congress men and women saw the installment of a new President signaling a new dawn for the Bougainville people. Mr Kabui thanked the Congress men and women, the people of Bougainville, the United Nations, the Peace Monitoring Group, and N.G.O.s involved in the peace process on Bougainville. Mr Kabui said, "The election of the Bougainville Peoples Congress and the installment of myself as its President is a victory for people, victory for democracy, victory for peace, victory for reconciliation and victory for development and progress for not only the people of Bougainville but for the region as a whole". He said he felt honored and humble for being appointed as the President of the Bougainville Peoples Congress (BPC) and said that he was committed to lasting peace and for a lasting political settlement for the people of Bougainville. He also said, "This is only the beginning of a long road, but a corner stone and foundation for a new Bougainville has already been planted". He called for honesty, trust and respect on all parties including his own Congress men and women and also the four Bougainville parliamentarians including Mr John Momis. Mr Kabui paid tribute to the work of the Peace Monitoring Group, the United Nations, churches, the Skate government, International Humanitarian Agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations involved in the peace process on Bougainville. When the Congress resumed at 2.00pm today, the international community witnessing the swearing in of the Bougainville Peoples Congress and the election of the President congratulated the people of Bougainville in the setting up of their congress and the inaugural President. The representative of the Peace Monitoring Group was Commander Willis and His Excellency Ambassador Sinclair was the United Nations representative. For further information, please contact +872 761 338 978 -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink