Leah Lowonbu

3 weeks ago | pacificislandtimes.com | Leah Lowonbu |Stefan Armbruster |Harlyne Joku

By Leah Lowonbu, Stefan Armbruster and Harlyne Joku(BenarNews) -- Pacific’s peak diplomatic bodies have signaled they are ready to engage with Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Government of Bougainville as mediation begins on the delayed ratification of its successful 2019 independence referendum. PNG and Bougainville’s leaders met in the capital Port Moresby this week with a moderator to start negotiations on the implementation of the U.N.-supervised Bougainville Peace Agreement and referendum.

1 month ago | asiapacificreport.nz | Leah Lowonbu |Stefan Armbruster |Harlyne Joku

By Leah Lowonbu, Stefan Armbruster and Harlyne Joku of BenarNewsThe Pacific’s peak diplomatic bodies have signalled they are ready to engage with Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Government of Bougainville as mediation begins on the delayed ratification of its successful 2019 independence referendum. PNG and Bougainville’s leaders met in the capital Port Moresby this week with a moderator to start negotiations on the implementation of the UN-supervised Bougainville Peace Agreement and referendum.

1 month ago | benarnews.org | Leah Lowonbu |Stefan Armbruster |Harlyne Joku

The Pacific’s peak diplomatic bodies have signaled they are ready to engage with Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Government of Bougainville as mediation begins on the delayed ratification of its successful 2019 independence referendum. PNG and Bougainville’s leaders met in the capital Port Moresby this week with a moderator to start negotiations on the implementation of the U.N.-supervised Bougainville Peace Agreement and referendum.

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Doug Dingwall |Leah Lowonbu

The only female Member of Parliament to emerge from Vanuatu's national election last month wasted no time in announcing her presence on the national stage. Only days after electoral officials confirmed Marie Louise Milne's election win — dispelling initial fears of a return to an all-male parliament — she called publicly for a ministry in its next government. "A woman too has her place [at] the table at the national level," she told the ABC.

Jan 20, 2025 | benarnews.org | Leah Lowonbu

Vanuatu’s only incumbent female parliamentarian has lost her seat in a snap election leaving only one woman candidate in contention after an unofficial vote count. The unofficial counting at polling locations indicated the majority of the 52 incumbent MPs have been reelected but also some high profile departures. Former deputy prime minister Jotham Napat, head of the Leaders Party, has secured up to nine MPs, putting him in poll position to try to form a coalition government.