Toroama, cabinet gets special welcome

The National National
Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama and cabinet leaders given a special welcome called the tsutsu on Petats Island yesterday. – Picture supplied

BOUGAINVILLE President Ishmael Toroama was given a special welcome known as the tsutsu by people on Petats Island yesterday.
The welcome involves the washing of the feet.
The islanders performed the special welcome for Toroama after they (his cabinet) arrived at the island for the Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) meeting.
During the ceremony, Toroama thanked the people for the special welcome to the government and their continued support on its development priorities.
Toroama urged the islanders to remain steadfast in their support of his government and to continue their participation in developing Bougainville’s democracy and economic development initiatives.
He said the people’s mandate to the leaders was to define the 97 per cent outcome of the referendum that voted for independence.
He said that the Bougainville Executive Council was committed to this process and its focus would be to deliver independence for the people of Bougainville.
Key agendas in the BEC were the impending Joint Consultative Body meeting with Prime Minister James Marape.