The Bougainvillean presidential election of 2010 was held in Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea. The presidential contest was part of the overall general election on the island. Voting began on May 7, 2010, and ended May 24, 2010. Final results for the election were announced on June 8, 2010. John Momis, the former Governor of Bougainville and framer of the Papua New Guinean constitution, defeated incumbent President James Tanis and five other challengers in the election. This was the third presidential election since a 2001 peace agreement. (The 2005 and 2010 elections were previously scheduled, while the special 2008 presidential by-law election was held due to the death of former President Joseph Kabui.) The presidential election was held simultaneously with the legislative general election. More than three-quarters of all incumbent members of the Bougainvillean House of Representatives were defeated in their re-election bids. Election background Incumbent President James Tanis, a former separatist leader in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, had been elected president in an early 2008 presidential by-election following the unexpected death of former President Joseph Kabui in June 2008. Kabui's death forced the by-election just 18 months before the scheduled presidential election in 2010. Tanis was elected to serve as president for the remainder of Kabui's term. He sought re-election in 2010. Voter rolls were updated for the 2010 general election. 134,279 voters were registered to vote in the election. According to the updated voter lists, North Bougainville had the highest number of eligible voters, with 57,979 registered voters; followed by 48,652 voters in South Bougainville and 27,648 voters in Central Bougainville. South Bougainville remains the most politically unstable region of the island, with fourteen separate, armed militias operating in the area. Violence in southern Bougainville had decreased during James Tanis' presidency. Candidates Seven candidates contested the 2010 presidential election, including incumbent James Tanis. The number was down significantly from the fourteen candidates who ran during the 2008 presidential by-election. List of candidates (alphabetical order) Robert Atsir – resident of North Bougainville Martin Miriori – resident of Central Bougainville Miriori is the older brother of former Bougainville President Joseph Kabui, who died in 2008. He was a former international spokesperson for the Bougainville separatist movement. John Momis – resident of South Bougainville and a member of the New Bougainville Party. Momis, a former Roman Catholic priest, served as the now defunct Governor of Bougainville and Papua