GoPNG and ABG resolve to engage moderator from the Pacific

Sunday, 12 May 2024, 6:32 pm

Deputy Prime Minister Rosso, Prime Minister James Marape and ABG President Ishmael Toroama with GoPNG and ABG Leaders (NBC News: Martin Salangau)

The National and Autonomous Bougainville Governments have resolved to engage an independent working moderator from the Pacific region.

Prime Minister James Marape and A-B-G President, Ishmael Toroama as co-chairs of the Joint Supervisory Body agreed to this in the last JSB meeting at APEC House in Port Moresby.

The moderator will be engaged to resolve outstanding issues, relating to the secession order and related matters, to bring the results of the 2019 Referendum for Independence, to the National Parliament.

The 2019 Referendum is a requirement captured in the Bougainville Peace Agreement signed in 2001.

The conducting of the referendum is evidence of the political journey taken by the Autonomous Region of Bougainville closely guided under the leadership of both governments. It confirms PNG's commitment to ensuring that Bougainville achieves the wishes of its people in an amicable manner maintaining cooperation and mutual consensus.

The GoPNG has been committed to this mammoth task by consulting both local and international advisors for wisdom, direction, and guidance on how best to propel the political status of Bougainville as Bougainville is one of the icon Provinces that contributed to PNG's political journey to self-government in 1973 and finally Independence in 1975.

Prime Minister James Marape said, "The Bougainville Peace Agreement stated that the referendum must be held, and a referendum was held. We are awaiting the final leg and that is the requirement by Section 342 of the Bougainville Peace Agreement implanted into our National Constitution that requires more post-referendum consultation."

The results are to be brought into Parliament for Parliament to deliberate and ratify. The Constitution provision says that Parliament shall make decisions and the final decision be remitted back to the Bougainville House of Representatives.

Amongst certain resolutions reached is the referendum results be brought into Parliament. The leaders resolved that there needs to be a moderator that looks into the final details of how the matter is addressed and discussed in Parliament.

Mr. Marape says, the JSB resolved for a moderator to be appointed, and to be picked from within the Pacific region. We did conclude that it would not only be one-man moderation, but we did ask for a body of possibly two more to be stationed below a key moderator to go through these issues.

"We are also of the view that Parliament can decide on what is good for both Bougainville and PNG. We have contested that it is a non-binding referendum, but they've said it's a binding referendum. And so with all this, we've all agreed to disagree in certain areas. For those that we disagree with, we said the moderator will have a handle. "

The Technical Working Committee will work on the Terms of the PNG NRI Bougainville Referendum Project for the moderator's mandate, within a week.

The next JSB is scheduled for August.