John Momis
Encyclopedia
John Momis is the current President
of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Momis was sworn in as President of Bougainville on June 10, 2010, after defeating his predecessor, President James Tanis
, and five other challengers by a landslide in the 2010 presidential election
.
Momis, who served as a Catholic priest from 1970 until 1993 and co-writer of the Constitution of Papua New Guinea, previously held posts as the Governor of Bougainville from 1999 until 2005 and was Papua New Guinea's ambassador
to the People's Republic of China
.
, Morobe Province
, in the colonial Territory of New Guinea
. Some sources list Momis birth year as 1942. However, most media sources cite Momis' age as 71-years old at the time of his election as President of Bougainville in June 2010, which would place his birth year at approximately 1938 or 1939.
Momis attended Buin Primary School in Bougainville and St. Brendan's College
, located in Yeppoon, Queensland
, Australia
. In 1963, Momis entered Holy Spirit Seminary, a Roman Catholic seminary
in Madang
. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1970. He remained a Catholic priest until 1993, when he was granted an official dispensation
to leave the priesthood. Momis married his wife, Elizabeth Momis, and remains a devout Roman Catholic to the present-day.
Momis is considered to be a native of South Bougainville, presently the most unstable part of the island.
's first representative assemebly, the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea
. Momis chaired the constitutional committee, which wrote and drafted Papua New Guinea's national constitution, from 1972 until 1975.
Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia in 1975. Shortly before independence, Momis resigned his seat in the PNG parliament to establish a secessionist organization in North Solomons (Bougainville). However, Momis quickly returned to national Papuan politics after North Solomons was established as a province with a provincial government within Papua New Guinea.
In 1977, Momis was re-elected to the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
as a member from North Solomons. He soon co-founded the new Melanesian Alliance Party
with John Kaputin
.
Momis initially supported Prime Minister
Michael Somare
's first coalition government
(1975-1980) and was appointed Minister for Decentralization in Somare's government. He remained PNG's Minister for Decentralization until 1982, including two years in the government of Prime Minister Julius Chan
. In March 1980, Momis had joined with other members of parliament from North Solomons (Bougainville) to support a successful vote of no confidence in Michael Somare. Chan became Prime Minister after Somare's ouster.
Prime Minister Michael Somare returned to power for a second time in March 1985. Somare appointed Momis as both Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Service.
Momis held a number of positions in the Papua New Guinean parliament over the next decade, including Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 1985 until 1987 and again from 1987 to 1988; Minister for Provincial Affairs from 1988 until 1992 in the government of Prime Minister Rabbie Namaliu
; Shadow Minister for Bougainville Affairs in 1992; Shadow Minister for Provincial Affairs in 1993; Deputy Leader of the Opposition in 1994; and Minister of Information and Communication in 1994.
.
to contest the 2010 presidential election. He was also chosen as the leader of the New Bougainville Party
in January 2010.
Momis contested the election against incumbent President James Tanis
and five other challengers. Voting for the election began on May 7, 2010, and ended May 24, 2010.
On Tuesday, June 8, 2010, at 2:30 p.m. John Momis was declared the winner and president-elect of Bougainville in a landslide victory
over President James Tanis and the other presidential candidates. Momis won 43,047 votes, or 52.35% of the total popular votes cast in the election. His closest challenger, incumbent President James Tanis, received estimated 17,205 votes. Momis won the popular vote in both South Bougainville and Tanis' home region of Central Bougainville.
Momis was sworn into office for a 5-year term as President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
on June 10, 2010, at the Parliament house. The oath of office
was administered by Peter Toliken, Bougainville’s Chief Magistrate
. On the day of his inauguration, Momis appointed Patrick Nisira
as Vice President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
.
Momis stated that his first priorities office will be to fight political corruption
and the disposal of the large number of weapons and unexploded ordnance leftover from Bougainville's war. Analysts view Momis as more in favor of continued autonomy
and continued integration with Papua New Guinea, while Momis' predecessor, James Tanis, supported full independence.
President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
The President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville governs the island, which is an autonomous entity within Papua New Guinea.The first President of Bougainville was Joseph Kabui, who was elected in June 2005, following the 2000 peace agreement which ended the Bougainville War...
of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Momis was sworn in as President of Bougainville on June 10, 2010, after defeating his predecessor, President James Tanis
James Tanis
James Tanis is a politician in in Papua New Guinea who was President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville from 2009 to 2010. He was previously the Vice President of the Bougainville People's Congress....
, and five other challengers by a landslide in the 2010 presidential election
Bougainvillean presidential election, 2010
The Bougainnvillean presidential election of 2010 was held in Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea. The presidential contest was part of the overall general election on the island. Voting began on May 7, 2010, and ended May 24, 2010...
.
Momis, who served as a Catholic priest from 1970 until 1993 and co-writer of the Constitution of Papua New Guinea, previously held posts as the Governor of Bougainville from 1999 until 2005 and was Papua New Guinea's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Early life
John Momis was born in SalamauaSalamaua
Salamaua was a small town situated on the north-eastern coastline of Papua New Guinea part of Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland...
, Morobe Province
Morobe Province
Morobe Province is a province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital, and largest city, is Lae. The province covers 34,500 km², including 719 km² maritime area, with a population of 539,725...
, in the colonial Territory of New Guinea
Territory of New Guinea
The Territory of New Guinea was the Australia-controlled, League of Nations-mandated territory in the north eastern part of the island of New Guinea, and surrounding islands, between 1920 and 1949...
. Some sources list Momis birth year as 1942. However, most media sources cite Momis' age as 71-years old at the time of his election as President of Bougainville in June 2010, which would place his birth year at approximately 1938 or 1939.
Momis attended Buin Primary School in Bougainville and St. Brendan's College
St. Brendan's College
This article is about the school in Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia. For the school in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, please see St Brendan's, Killarney...
, located in Yeppoon, Queensland
Yeppoon, Queensland
Yeppoon is a coastal resort town situated in Central Queensland, Australia. Located on Keppel Bay, at the 2006 census, Yeppoon had a population of 13,284.-Geography:...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In 1963, Momis entered Holy Spirit Seminary, a Roman Catholic seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Madang
Madang
Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1970. He remained a Catholic priest until 1993, when he was granted an official dispensation
Dispensation (Catholic Church)
In the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, a dispensation is the suspension by competent authority of general rules of law in particular cases...
to leave the priesthood. Momis married his wife, Elizabeth Momis, and remains a devout Roman Catholic to the present-day.
Momis is considered to be a native of South Bougainville, presently the most unstable part of the island.
Political career
In 1972, Momis was elected as a member of North Solomons, as Bougainville was known at the time, to colonial Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
's first representative assemebly, the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea
House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea
The House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea was the legislature of the territory of Papua and New Guinea from 1964 to 1972. Before 1964, the Legislative Council of Papua and New Guinea sat from 1951 to 1964 under the Papua and New Guinea Act 1949...
. Momis chaired the constitutional committee, which wrote and drafted Papua New Guinea's national constitution, from 1972 until 1975.
Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia in 1975. Shortly before independence, Momis resigned his seat in the PNG parliament to establish a secessionist organization in North Solomons (Bougainville). However, Momis quickly returned to national Papuan politics after North Solomons was established as a province with a provincial government within Papua New Guinea.
In 1977, Momis was re-elected to the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
The National Parliament of Papua New Guinea is the unicameral national legislature in Papua New Guinea. It was first created in 1964 as the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea, but gained its current name with the granting of independence in 1975....
as a member from North Solomons. He soon co-founded the new Melanesian Alliance Party
Melanesian Alliance Party
The Melanesian Alliance Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. The party was co-founded by John Momis and John Kaputin in the late 1970s. At the last legislative elections, 15-29 June 2002, the party is said to have won 3 of 109 seats. The party won only 1 seat of the 109 seats in the...
with John Kaputin
John Kaputin
Sir John Kaputin was the foreign minister of Papua New Guinea from 1992 until 1994 and from December 1999 until 2000. He is a co-founder of the Melanesian Alliance Party. He was named Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St...
.
Momis initially supported Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, is Papua New Guinea's head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Since 2 August 2011, the Prime Minister has been Peter O’Neill of the People's National Congress Party.-List...
Michael Somare
Michael Somare
Sir Michael Thomas Somare, GCL, GCMG, CH, CF, KStJ, MP was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 2002 to 2011; he had previously been Prime Minister from independence in 1975 until 1980 and again from 1982 until 1985. Somare's first two terms were as a member of the Pangu Party, but he then...
's first coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
(1975-1980) and was appointed Minister for Decentralization in Somare's government. He remained PNG's Minister for Decentralization until 1982, including two years in the government of Prime Minister Julius Chan
Julius Chan
Sir Julius Chan GCL GCMG KBE was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980 to 1982 and from 1994 to 1997. He is currently Member of Parliament for New Ireland Province, having won the seat in the 2007 national election...
. In March 1980, Momis had joined with other members of parliament from North Solomons (Bougainville) to support a successful vote of no confidence in Michael Somare. Chan became Prime Minister after Somare's ouster.
Prime Minister Michael Somare returned to power for a second time in March 1985. Somare appointed Momis as both Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Service.
Momis held a number of positions in the Papua New Guinean parliament over the next decade, including Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 1985 until 1987 and again from 1987 to 1988; Minister for Provincial Affairs from 1988 until 1992 in the government of Prime Minister Rabbie Namaliu
Rabbie Namaliu
Sir Rabbie Langanai Namaliu, GCL, CSM, KCMG is a Papua New Guinea politician. He served as the fourth Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1988 to 1992 as leader of the Pangu Party...
; Shadow Minister for Bougainville Affairs in 1992; Shadow Minister for Provincial Affairs in 1993; Deputy Leader of the Opposition in 1994; and Minister of Information and Communication in 1994.
Bougainville
Momis served as the Governor of Bougainville from December 9, 1999 until April 20, 2005. He resigned as governor in 2005 to contest Bougainville's first presidential election that year. He ultimately lost the election to Bougainville's first president, Joseph KabuiJoseph Kabui
Joseph Canisius Kabui was a secessionist leader and the first President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, from 2005 to 2008. He was also the leader of the Bougainville People's Congress....
.
President of Bougainville
In 2010, Momis resigned his post as Papua New Guinea's ambassador to the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
to contest the 2010 presidential election. He was also chosen as the leader of the New Bougainville Party
New Bougainville Party
New Bougainville Party is a political party in the autonomous region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. It was founded on 22 April 2005 by John Momis, governor from 1999 to 2005, and is currently led by Ezekiel Masatt....
in January 2010.
Momis contested the election against incumbent President James Tanis
James Tanis
James Tanis is a politician in in Papua New Guinea who was President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville from 2009 to 2010. He was previously the Vice President of the Bougainville People's Congress....
and five other challengers. Voting for the election began on May 7, 2010, and ended May 24, 2010.
On Tuesday, June 8, 2010, at 2:30 p.m. John Momis was declared the winner and president-elect of Bougainville in a landslide victory
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
over President James Tanis and the other presidential candidates. Momis won 43,047 votes, or 52.35% of the total popular votes cast in the election. His closest challenger, incumbent President James Tanis, received estimated 17,205 votes. Momis won the popular vote in both South Bougainville and Tanis' home region of Central Bougainville.
Momis was sworn into office for a 5-year term as President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
The President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville governs the island, which is an autonomous entity within Papua New Guinea.The first President of Bougainville was Joseph Kabui, who was elected in June 2005, following the 2000 peace agreement which ended the Bougainville War...
on June 10, 2010, at the Parliament house. The oath of office
Oath of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
was administered by Peter Toliken, Bougainville’s Chief Magistrate
Chief Magistrate
Chief Magistrate is a generic designation for a public official whose office—individual or collegial—is the highest in his or her class, in either of the fundamental meanings of Magistrate : as a major political and administrative office , and/or as a judge Chief Magistrate is a generic designation...
. On the day of his inauguration, Momis appointed Patrick Nisira
Patrick Nisira
Patrick Nisira is a Bougainvillean politician. He was appointed as the current Vice President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville by President John Momis on June 10, 2010....
as Vice President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
Vice President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
The Vice President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville is the second highest office in the province, which is an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea...
.
Momis stated that his first priorities office will be to fight political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
and the disposal of the large number of weapons and unexploded ordnance leftover from Bougainville's war. Analysts view Momis as more in favor of continued autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
and continued integration with Papua New Guinea, while Momis' predecessor, James Tanis, supported full independence.