John Momis

John Momis (born 3 March 1942) is a Bougainvillean politician who served as the President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea between 2010 and 2020.

Momis served as a Catholic priest from 1970 until 1993, becoming active in politics and elected to the assembly in the 1970s.

Momis defeated his predecessor James Tanis and five other challengers by a landslide in the 2010 presidential election, in which he was a candidate of the New Bougainville Party. was sworn in as President of Bougainville on 10 June 2010 for a five-year term. He was reelected for a second five year-term in the general elections in May 2015.

Early life John Momis was born in Salamaua, Morobe Province, in the colonial Territory of New Guinea. Some sources list Momis's birth year as 1942. which places 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. which continued to be unstable politically in the 21st century.

Political career Momis became active in politics while serving as a Catholic priest. In 1972, he was elected as a member of North Solomons, as Bougainville was known at the time, to colonial Papua New Guinea's first representative assembly, the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea.

Momis contested the election against incumbent President James Tanis and five other challengers. Voting for the election began on 7 May 2010 and ended on 24 May 2010.

On Tuesday 8 June 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.

Momis was sworn into office for a 5-year term as President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville on 10 June 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 in office were to fight political corruption and to arrange disposal of the large number of weapons and unexploded ordnance left over from Bougainville's long war. Analysts view Momis as more in favor of continued autonomy and continued integration with Papua New Guinea, while Momis's predecessor, James Tanis, supported full independence.