Papua New Guinea has been told to address the Bougainville Independence issue head-on and not to hide behind political correctness and overblown sensitivity.
Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) President Ismael Toroama told a Bougainville joint supervisory board: “While the work of the moderator is a challenging one, we cannot simply expect him to provide us with answers in negotiating the Independence for Bougainville.
“The onus is on the ABG and the National Government to find an enduring political settlement for Bougainville’s independence as reflected in the referendum results.
“We must realise that part of the problem is with us, by our continuing to hide behind labels of political correctness or words of overblown sensitivity. Time has caught up with us.
“Bougainville will no longer shy away from using the word “independence” in our narrative and urge PNG to understand and do the same. Another thing that I wish to highlight as well is that the moderator’s task concerns a process that applies only to Bougainville.
“I believe the difficulty that the National Government has is that it does not want the Parliament’s role to be seen as lacking in authority that it ought to have under the Constitution of the independent State of Papua New Guinea,” he said.
The session, which was co-chaired by Prime Minister James Marape and Toroama, announced their joint endorsement of the amended terms of reference for the moderator Jerry Matapare, who will help the two governments in resolving outstanding issues on Bougainville’s political future.
Marape said the issue of Bougainville sovereignty was a combined decision and would still need to follow due process and the constitution.
Marape said: “I have given my assurance and yes, we hear you (Toroama) clearly to let your people go and it should be so. Also note that we have had possible grounds to refuse referendum, but we have allowed it and have given the people of Bougainville the right to a voice.
“Right now, we must construct something meaningful and that which has value in it. So, parliament is ready to take the result subject to this last process which is again subject to the constitution.
“The question is what will be the result and despite a negative or positive result, the next question is what happens next? So, despite results from both sides, the National Government is still ready to handle the end result,” he said.
Since the last JSB in July 2023, the issue on the table was ratification of the referendum results and this was stated in the Bougainville Peace Agreement. Three terms were agreed upon and the agreement was to see that referendum of independence for Bougainville be given through a sessional order where the Government of PNG will put forward to parliament for a vote by its 118 members before any further result can be identified.
A working moderator has been appointed to support the two governments and bring closure before the Bougainville Elections in June 2025. The moderator will work with an independent team and the United Nations towards that end.
