ABG President Ishmael Toroama has thanked the Papua New Guinea Government for acknowledging Bougainville’s right to self-determination and emphasised that the outcome of the referendum must now be implemented in good faith.
Speaking during the Second Joint Moderation Meeting in Port Moresby Tuesday President Toroama reaffirmed Bougainville’s firm commitment to independence and called on all parties, including the National Government and international partners, to respect the outcome of the 2019 referendum, where 97.7 percent of Bougainvilleans voted in favor of independence.
He made it clear that Bougainville maintains two non-negotiable positions:
1. That Bougainville’s independence model is as defined on the referendum ballot; and
2. That the date for independence remains 1st September 2027.
“The two governments’ task in the moderation process must be about defining the relationships the two sovereign nations must have on Independence Day,” President Toroama stressed.
He further highlighted the need to resolve the outstanding issue of Section 342 of the National Constitution, which relates directly to the implementation of the referendum outcome.
“The referendum result is the record of a fact that 97.7 percent of the people voted for Independence. No parliament can disclaim the accuracy of a record,” he stated, adding that the Bougainville people will not accept any unlawful veto by the National Parliament of their democratic decision.
President Toroama reiterated that the moderation process is not about negotiating alternative models or transitional arrangements, but about the implementation of independence.
“This is our process. We have met all benchmarks set in the Bougainville Peace Agreement, including weapons disposal and good governance. We are now at the final hurdle,” he said.
President Toroama also issued a strong call to international partners, especially the signatories to the Bougainville Peace Agreement, to support the peace process and uphold the principles in the BPA.
“There are international signatories to the BPA, and it is incumbent on them to support the outcome of the referendum, the consultation process and the endorsement of the referendum results.”
“It is not enough anymore to remain silent nor to say that the Bougainville issue is an internal PNG sovereign issue. This call is not only limited to the BPA signatory countries, but also to the contributing countries to the Bougainville peace process and the referendum process.”
At the conclusion of his remarks, President Toroama presented a document titled “The Bougainville Memoir – Arguing the Bougainville Case” to the Moderator, Sir Jerry Mataparae. The Memoir captures Bougainville’s painful history, the resilience of its people, and their journey toward independence.
The ABG Minister for Bougainville Independence Mission Implementation, Ezekiel Masatt, also presented a copy of the Memoir to the National Minister for Bougainville Affairs, Manasseh Makiba.
