Joseph Watawi

Joseph Watawi (27 January 1960 – 15 November 2021) was the first Vice-President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, an autonomous island of Papua New Guinea. After playing an important role in the island's conflict and peace process, Watawi was elected to office and served under the region's first President Joseph Kabui from 2005 to 2007.

Early life and Bougainville Conflict Watawi was born in Gohi village in the Selau area of northern Bougainville on 27 January 1960, in what was then the Australian-administered Territory of Papua and New Guinea, to Anna Tsehu (a chief and landowner in matrilineal Selau society) and Paul Mini (a chief of the Nabuin clan). Watawi attended Hutjena High School on Bougainville, and gained an engineering qualification at Malaguna Technical College in Rabaul and Lae Technical College. The agreement paved the way for the Bougainville Interim Authority, which Watawi became the first chairman of in 2000. Watawi was chosen by newly elected President Joseph Kabui to serve as Vice-President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, becoming the first person to hold the office in the newly inaugurated Autonomous Bougainville Government.

In 2007, Watawi was stripped of the Vice-Presidency following the Amun scandal. Peter Tsiamalili, chief administrator of Bougainville, died unexpectedly in his sleep in Torokina in the Amun area. Watawi attended Tsiamalili's funeral alongside several high-ranking government officials. Several officials including Watawi and acting chief administrator Patrick Koles arrived at the village intoxicated, causing a significant backlash. The group were reportedly drinking beer during the mourning in violation of cultural taboo, and were immediately asked to leave the village. Media reported Watawi and the officials were chased out of the village by angry locals, and had the keys to their vehicle confiscated. Torokina district chiefs, the Tsiamalili family, and other officials condemned Watawi's behaviour as disgraceful and demanded he be removed from office. Petitions were given to Joseph Kabui by a women's NGO and former combatants of the Bougainville conflict calling for Watawi's immediate removal from office. John Tabinaman was chosen as the new vice-president.

Kabui described the decision to demote Watawi as "painful" and said he had "the greatest respect" for Watawi's work.

2015–2020: Second term, referendum In the 2015 Bougainvillean general election Watawi was re-elected to represent the Selau constituency. Watawi was appointed head of the Parliamentary Committee on Referendum, Peace, Security and Unification in the lead up to the 2019 Bougainvillean independence referendum. Watawi led a reconciliation process in accordance with local custom. Watawi also praised New Zealand's support as a "trusted and respected international partner" and quipped that "Australia would have more power and influence [in Bougainville] if they replaced their foreign and aid corps with a drunken rugby team."

2020–2021: Advisory role and death In the 2020 Bougainvillean general election Watawi lost the Selau seat to Paul Otto Cheung, a medical doctor. Watawi was eulogised in the Sydney Morning Herald