An absolute three-quarter majority – or 89 MPs – of the 118-member Papua New Guinea Parliament is needed to ratify the 2019 Bougainville referendum result, according to Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba.
Makiba, who tabled a draft sessional order in Parliament Tuesday, said the vote on the matter would be taken by Aug 30.
“We have now embarked on the final steps of our journey in bringing the referendum result to Parliament,” he said.
“This was initiated on 02 June last week, with the tabling of the report of the Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Bougainville Matters.
“The committee is playing a critical role in preparing Members (of Parliament) for this debate, ensuring we are fully informed of the legal, political, and historical context.”
Makiba said the writ containing the referendum result, together with the joint consultation report and Melanesian Framework, would be tabled before MPs could start debate on the matter.
The final steps include:
*Adoption of the sessional order, and if the motion is supported, the procedural framework for consideration of the referendum results will be established;
*Referendum results to be tabled with the joint consultation report and Melanesian Framework to allow debate to start; and,
*After sufficient time has been given for debate, MPs will be required to take the final vote on the referendum result no later than 30 Aug 2026 – as proposed by Prime Minister James Marape
Makiba said: “The Government’s position is that, should Parliament vote in the affirmative to accept the referendum result, and support a pathway to independence, this should initiate a phased and carefully managed transition, rather than an immediate declaration.
“As part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that this process proceeds in a lawful, orderly and constitutionally sound manner, legal advice has been sought from a range of senior legal authorities and law firms, including the state solicitor.”
Makiba said should Parliament accept the referendum result, further steps will be taken such as amending the Constitution to remove Bougainville from the defined area of PNG, and the implementation of transnational arrangements between the two governments.
If Parliament rejects the referendum result, it amounts to the rejection of the proposal for independence. And unless expressly qualified by Parliament, it concludes the constitutional process.
