Thirty years ago, Ishmael Toroama was leading troops in a rebel army during a bloody conflict in Bougainville. Now, he will be sworn in as president as the region works to gain independence from Papua New Guinea.
The referendum was non-binding, which means negotiations must now be held between the governments of Papua New Guinea and Bougainville. The PNG Parliament will have the final say.
"During my campaign, I had this timeframe of two to three years [for negotiations]," Mr Toroama said.That would be considered a very fast negotiation, especially by Papua New Guinea. Many in the national Parliament don't want to see Bougainville secede."It's something we can continue to discuss … and come up with the necessary timeframe."
"I would like to see the national Government ratifying the 98 per cent, that is the first step that I would like to see," he said. The activist, social worker and mother was voted in to represent the Ioro constituency, which includes the Panguna Mine, the site where fighting first started.
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