Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama has accused Papua New Guinea’s National Parliament of breaching the Melanesian Agreement (MA) and undermining the Bougainville peace process after lawmakers adopted a draft sessional order on the Bougainville Referendum results without the consent of the Speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives.
Toroama said the decision taken by the National Parliament on 09 June 2026 contravened commitments made under the Melanesian Agreement and threatened the principles that have guided the Bougainville peace process since the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
“The decision by the National Parliament on Tuesday 9 June 2026 to adopt a draft sessional order on the results of the Bougainville Referendum, without the required consent of the Speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives, amounts to a breach of the Melanesian Agreement and runs contrary to the principles of respect, good faith and partnership that underpin the Bougainville Peace Agreement,” he said in a statement.
Toroama also expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of Prime Minister James Marape’s statements, the manner in which the parliamentary debate was conducted and the position taken on the negotiated majority threshold.
“I am disappointed in certain parts of the Prime Ministers statements, the order of the debate and the unilateral position on the negotiated majority threshold.”
The Bougainville President said he had previously warned that parliamentary developments in Port Moresby could test the resolve of Bougainvilleans and again urged the people of Bougainville to remain calm and united despite the latest developments.
“I echo that entreaty now. I repeat that our strength remains our unity of purpose and our faith in the justice of our cause,” he emphasised.
Toroama said the Autonomous Bougainville Government would continue engaging with the National Government despite what he described as attempts to weaken agreements reached between the two sides.
“As the Vice President stated, the Bougainville Government will continue to engage with the National Government in good faith, despite recent attempts to subvert the Melanesian Agreement and undermine the ratification process,” he said.
The President also called for international involvement, saying commitments made under the Melanesian Agreement regarding international monitoring should now be activated.
According to Toroama, the agreement provided for international monitoring with support from the United Nations, and he urged the facilitator responsible for developing the Melanesian Framework to convene international stakeholders to address the situation.
“The Melanesian Agreement called for international monitoring with UN support.
“I now call on the facilitator appointed to support development of the Melanesian Framework to activate that commitment to international monitoring and convene a meeting of international partners, representatives of the international community and the international witnesses to the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, to address the breach by the National Government of its commitments under the Melanesian Agreement and to ensure that the process and principles agreed at Burnham are honoured,” he said.
The call represents the strongest response yet from the Bougainville leadership following the parliamentary decision, which has intensified tensions surrounding the ratification process for the 2019 Bougainville Referendum result.
Despite the dispute, Toroama said Bougainville remained committed to pursuing its political aspirations through peaceful means and continued dialogue.
“We continue to place our trust in God to protect us, and to guide all parties in good faith in the delivery of Bougainville’s legitimate political destiny,” he said.
The statement signals that the Autonomous Bougainville Government will continue pressing for adherence to the commitments and processes established under the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the subsequent Melanesian Agreement, while seeking greater international scrutiny of the developments following the National Parliament’s decision.
