Picture from left to right presidential candidates Sam Kauna, Nick Peniai, Louis Smith and Joe Lera
EXCLUSIVE
Four presidential candidates for the Bougainville general election have called for a fresh presidential ballot amid alleged, massive fraud favouring the incumbent President, Ishmael Toroama.
Spokesman for the group of four, Louis Smith, a presidential candidate, said several foreign businessmen with interests in Bougainville were suspected of paying President Toroama bribes and influencing the election.
In 2020, there were strong expectations Bougainville would soon be independent, breaking away from PNG rule given the result of an overwhelming referendum for independence just months earlier.
That hasn’t happened yet, and Port Moresby has yet to concede much ground.
The general election started on September 5 and there are no final results available yet.
These stunning corruption allegations had thrown a spear in the works for a fair and honest election which ultimately would hold back the people of Bougainville, Mr Smith told Cairns News.
“Serial numbers have been changed on boxes and in some places nearly every vote is going to the President which just can’t happen without fraud,” Mr Smith said.
“The presidential candidates are working close together because the voting is rigged, and how can it be all these votes are going to one person?”
When asked if the PNG government could help he said PNG Prime Minister James Marape wanted to keep President Toroama in his position because he “likes to work with someone he can manipulate.”
“We had a meeting with the electoral commissioner yesterday and we all think he has been paid out too.”
Several Bougainville businessmen were accused of bribing President Toroama for favours which was not sitting well with local people.
He named one accused businessman as Guy Hodgson, whom Mr Smith said had been kicked out of Zimbabwe by President Robert Mungabwe for bribery.
Mr Smith described the other businessmen accused of bribery as an American, two Australians, one from Perth and the other from Brisbane.
“Now Guy Hodgson is doing what Rio Tinto did to our people when they operated the mine. He has no conscience whatsoever and no respect for the people of Bougainville,” he said.
“I am fighting for them and we are waiting for the Port Moresby court to order a new presidential election.”
More than 239,000 registered voters live in Bougainville, which decided in 2019 to seek independence, and talks are ongoing with the PNG government about this process.
So far, the incumbent President Ishmael Toroama is leading the vote count with more than 64,000 votes, while his closest competitor, Lera, has just over 12,000 votes.
The demands come as the Bougainville Electoral Commission (OBEC) announced that they are extending the deadline for final results.
The results were supposed to be finalised on Monday, but this has now been pushed back to October 6. Voting took place on September 5 and 6 to ensure that everyone eligible could participate.
By law, the counting of votes must be completed within 14 days, with an original schedule to start on September 8 and finish by September 22. But counting did not start until September 12 due to some logistical problems.
Bougainville Election Results to date
Tuesday 23rd SEPTEMBER 2025*
NORTH BOUGAINVILLE ELECTION UPDATE..
*Mahari CONSTITUENCY*
COUNT: 149
NORTH BOUGAINVILLE FORMER COMBATANT SEAT
PROGRESSIVE RESULTS
10- GREGORY MANAU- 2615
11- CALLEN MATUNA- 2143
12-JOEL KORUS- 1518
13- WILSON GETSI- 1242
14-DAMIEN KORA- 1136
15-STANIS DAVEEN SABIN- 505
16-HENRY SOVEK- 185
17- STANLEY MAIA- 806
18-JAMES KERIAKA- 196
19-LINUS SARAM- 1876
20 -SYLVESTER HATSIERE- 4588
21.EDDIE MOHIN- 2445
22-STEVEN PONGAT- 1207
23-ARTHUR HAPISIRIA- 221
24-WILFRED ANING- 633
25-DAVID MUSEIN- 491
26-KEVIN MAGUM- 179
27-MARCELINE GETSI- 1093
28-ROSS YAMUNA VAVEIO- 3099
29.ROBERT KEKEVIO- 3826
30. PAUL MENAS- 243
Formal Ballot Paper: 30,246
Informal Ballots: 1192
Total Allowable Ballots: 31438
NORTH BOUGAINVILLE WOMEN SEAT
COUNT # 149
PROGRESSIVE RESULTS:
*Mahari*
10.ELUI RENGET NAUA- 6780
11.DELOURDS MOTSI SEMOSO- 12,451
12. HONA KUNBI HOLAN- 2419
13. ELIZABETH TAKO PALIN- 6473
14. MARLENE GIRIS- 2375
TOTAL FORMAL BALLOTS: 30498
INFORMAL BALLOTS: 1069
TOTAL ALLOWABLE BALLOTS: 31567
Cmon Louis Smith, Just accept the fact that Bougainvilleans don’t know you. How can people vote for you when they don’t know you. Stop crying yourself out in an Australian Media Outlet. Australians have much more to worry about I’m sure.
Itsadogsworld. “ It’s heartbreaking watching Albo & his crew destroy our country whilst the Libs are still trying to decide what they believe!!!?!?!?”
Yes, I agree.
But Sussan Ley writing to the Republicans saying that the Libs would reverse the decision of Albanese in his supporting of a Palestinian State. MY GOODNESS. I was compelled to put that in capitals
Like Albanese or hate him, please Sussan remember that your Party is in opposition. You don’t speak for the public at large.
At home we can give Albanese a hiding if we want to, but overseas he is our Prime Minister. He is the one elected to represent Australia, and on the Palestinian issue, multitudes of Australians feel immense pain at what is happening in Gaza and support what he is doing. When he is overseas, stand up for him. Salute the Office even if you don’t support the man.
I am struggling to understand how the Libs became so bloodthirsty. Don’t ever tell me it’s because you are Christian.
May God never forgive you.
So do I want Sussan Ley to resign. NO. The other candidate fills me with more horror. We can’t cope with another Trump.
And now Australia, watch out for FALSE FLAGS with Muslims blamed. Mr. Trump now will speak to Albanese. Look out for what it will cost us.
Will someone say it loud and clear so everyone can hear it , WE ARE A SOVEREIGN COUNTRY.
And since I have the floor for a moment longer, I do not agree with the Port of Darwin being taken back from the Chinese.
There is no proof of wrongdoing and secondly, we don’t have the money. And we shouldn’t accept it from any other country.
You know as well as I do who will take it over. And then Australia will become more of a target than it already is. Plus, there will be payback and that will crush us this time. Times are changing. We are now living in a multipolar world. Adjust or ………..
Commenter dogsworld
How do you propose to deny any form of vote for candidates if you don’t like all of them except a few independents
Joe Bogan2 … What are you talking about? We don’t use X on our voting forms for Senate or Lower House. We use numbers! You can vote below the line in the Senate and number as many as you like! The Electoral Commission is aware of voter fraud but pretends that it isn’t bad enough to change any outcomes! (Duh!!!)
From what I’ve heard the ALP and Greens hatched up this idea of preferential voting as they knew it would give THEM the advantage and the Liberals were too stupid to figure out what could conspire!
People are far too accustomed to marking boxes with an X on all sorts of forms to indicate that is their preference. I doubt they could do the reverse when voting … habits are hard to change.
It’s heartbreaking watching Albo & his crew destroy our country whilst the Libs are still trying to decide what they believe!!!?!?!?
Elbow frauded his way into government thanks to the preferential voting system which gave him landslide seats with 35% of the vote, so what would we know in Australia about fighting voter fraud. The only honest way is to put X against all the candidates you don’t want. Leaving boxes blank on the Senate form is asking for trouble but that’s what they demand.
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