{{short description|Papua New Guinean politician (born 1942)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = John Momis | office = 3rd President of Bougainville | vice_president = Patrick Nisira<br>Raymond Masono | term_start = 10 June 2010 | term_end = 25 September 2020 | predecessor = James Tanis | successor = Ishmael Toroama | office1 = Governor of Bougainville | term_start1 = 9 December 1999 | term_end1 = 20 April 2005 | predecessor1 = Position established | successor1 = Gerard Sinato {{small|(Acting)}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1942|3|3}} | birth_place = Salamaua, New Guinea | death_date = | death_place = | party = New Bougainville Party | spouse = Elizabeth Momis | education = Holy Spirit Seminary | image = John Momis ArawaHospital03 (cropped).jpg | caption = Momis in 2018 }} {{Politics of Bougainville}}
'''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.<ref name=australian/> He was a co-writer of the Constitution of Papua New Guinea and worked to establish a secessionist organization in what was then North Solomons Province. After it was confirmed as a province, he returned to national politics. Following the end of the civil war, he was appointed as the governor of Bougainville from 1999 until 2005. He was Papua New Guinea's ambassador to China from 2007 to 2010.<ref name=smh>{{cite news |first=Ilya|last=Gridneff|title= Bougainville elects president |url= http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/bougainville-elects-president-20100609-xvyt.html|work=Australian Associated Press|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald |date=2010-06-09 |accessdate=2010-06-20}}</ref>
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.<ref name=rnzi>{{cite news |title= Momis confirmed as new President of Bougainville |url= http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=54051|work=Radio New Zealand International|date=2010-06-08 |accessdate=2010-06-13}}</ref> was sworn in as President of Bougainville on 10 June 2010 for a five-year term.<ref name=newdawn>{{cite news |first=Aloysius|last=Laukai|title=Momis sworn in, Caretaker announced|url= http://bougainville.typepad.com/newdawn/2010/06/100610caretaker-announced-by-aloysius-laukai--abg-president-john-momis-was-sworn-into-office-by-bougainvilles-chief-magist.html|work=New Dawn FM 95.3|date=2008-06-11 |accessdate=2010-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.appf.org.pe/members/017abou3.htm | title=PAPUA NEW GUINEA | publisher=Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum | accessdate=30 January 2017}}</ref> 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.<ref name=ency>{{cite news |title= John Momis biography|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=T5pPpJl8E5wC&q=john+momis+born&pg=PA296|work=The Pacific Islands: an encyclopedia |date=January 2000|isbn=9780824822651|accessdate=2010-06-17|last1=Brij V.|last2=Fortune|first2=Kate}}</ref> Some sources list Momis's birth year as 1942.<ref name=ency/> However, most media sources cite Momis's age as 71 years at the time of his election as President of Bougainville in June 2010,<ref name=australian>{{cite news |first=Rowan|last=Calick|title= 71-year old wins key PNG role |url= http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/year-old-wins-key-png-role/story-e6frg6so-1225877191570|work=The Australian |date=2010-06-18|accessdate=2010-06-17}}</ref> 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.<ref name=ency/> In 1963, Momis entered Holy Spirit Seminary, a Roman Catholic seminary in Madang. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1970.<ref name=ency/> He remained a Catholic priest until 1993, when he was granted an official dispensation to leave the priesthood.<ref name=ency/> Momis married Elizabeth, and remains a devout Roman Catholic to the present day.<ref name=australian/>
Momis is considered to be a native of South Bougainville,<ref name=ew>{{cite news|first=Gorethy |last=Kenneth |title=Seven Candidates Vie for Bougainville President |url=http://archives.pireport.org/archive/2010/april/04-08-05.htm |work=Papua New Guinea Post-Courier |publisher=East West Center |date=2008-04-12 |accessdate=2010-06-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616061122/http://archives.pireport.org/archive/2010/april/04-08-05.htm |archive-date=2011-06-16 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=ency/> Momis chaired the constitutional committee, which wrote and drafted Papua New Guinea's national constitution, from 1972 until 1975.<ref name=ency/>
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).<ref name=ency/> However, Momis quickly returned to national Papuan politics after North Solomons was established as a province with a provincial government within Papua New Guinea.<ref name=ency/>
In 1977, Momis was re-elected to the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea as a member from North Solomons.<ref name=ency/> He soon co-founded the new Melanesian Alliance Party with John Kaputin.<ref name=ency/>
Momis initially supported Prime Minister Michael Somare's first coalition government (1975-1980) and was appointed Minister for Decentralization in Somare's government.<ref name=ency/> 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.<ref name=ency/> Chan became Prime Minister after Somare's ouster.<ref name=ency/>
Prime Minister Michael Somare returned to power for a second time in March 1985.<ref name=ency/> Somare appointed Momis as both Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Service.<ref name=ency/>
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.<ref name=ency/>
Momis was appointed as the Governor of Bougainville, serving from 9 December 1999 until 20 April 2005. He resigned as governor in 2005 to contest Bougainville's first presidential election that year.<ref name=australian/> He ultimately lost the election to Bougainville's first president, Joseph Kabui.<ref name=australian/>
==President of Bougainville== {{Main|2010 Bougainvillean presidential election}} In 2010, Momis resigned his post as Papua New Guinea's ambassador to the People's Republic of China to contest the 2010 presidential election. He was also chosen as the leader of the New Bougainville Party in January 2010.<ref name=rnzi1>{{cite news |title= Momis seeks Bougainville top job|url= http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=51263|work=Radio New Zealand International|date=2010-01-06 |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref>
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.<ref name=st>{{cite news |title= Forum Observer Mission to Bougainville Central Elections |url= http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=5161|work=Solomon Times|date=2010-05-07 |accessdate=2010-06-13}}</ref>
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.<ref name=ib>{{cite news|title=New Bougainville President says autonomous region must sustain own living |url=http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=130/focusContentID=19789/tableName=mediaRelease/overideSkinName=newsArticle-full.tpl |work=Islands Business |date=June 2008 |accessdate=2010-06-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612090646/http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace%3DMiddleMiddle/focusModuleID%3D130/focusContentID%3D19789/tableName%3DmediaRelease/overideSkinName%3DnewsArticle-full.tpl |archive-date=2010-06-12 }}</ref> Momis won 43,047 votes, or 52.35% of the total popular votes cast in the election.<ref name=ib/> His closest challenger, incumbent President James Tanis, received estimated 17,205 votes.<ref name=ib/> Momis won the popular vote in both South Bougainville and Tanis' home region of Central Bougainville.<ref name=economist>{{cite news|title=Bougainville's new president, Halfway to freedom |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2010/06/10/halfway-to-freedom |work=The Economist |date=2010-06-10 |access-date=2010-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021113146/http://www.economist.com/node/16321684?story_id=16321684&source=hptextfeature |archive-date=2012-10-21 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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.<ref name="newdawn"/> The oath of office was administered by Peter Toliken, Bougainville's Chief Magistrate.<ref name=newdawn/> On the day of his inauguration, Momis appointed Patrick Nisira as Vice President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.<ref name=newdawn/>
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.<ref name=australian/> Analysts view Momis as more in favor of continued autonomy and continued integration with Papua New Guinea,<ref name=economist/> while Momis's predecessor, James Tanis, supported full independence.<ref name=economist/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2010/01/former-governor-momis-takes-on-bougainville-party-leadership/ Former governor Momis takes on Bougainville party leadership ] *[http://bougainville.typepad.com/.a/6a011168831e92970c013485153d69970c-pi President John Momis with his Cabinet]
{{Presidents of Bougainville}} {{Deputy Prime Ministers of Papua New Guinea}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Momis, John}} Category:1942 births Category:20th-century Roman Catholic priests Category:Ambassadors of Papua New Guinea to China Category:Grand Companions of the Order of Logohu Category:Living people Category:Melanesian Alliance Party politicians Category:Members of the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea Category:Members of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea Category:Papua New Guinean Roman Catholic priests Category:Bougainvillean Roman Catholic priests Category:Presidents of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Category:Laicized Roman Catholic priests Category:20th-century Papua New Guinean politicians Category:21st-century Papua New Guinean politicians Category:Bougainvillean independence activists