Bougainville Foundation Day commemoration and BCPC consultation underway
Today marks 18 years since the former North Solomon's Province of Papua New Guinea established an Autonomous Government formerly recognized as the Autonomous Bougainville Government in 2005.
The former North Solomons was also officially recognised as the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.Because June 15th falls on Saturday [today] this year, Monday the 17 will be a public holiday across Bougainville.
But there are celebrations being planned across the region and commemorations across mainland PNG, by Bougainville communities to mark the day.
President Ishmael Toroama is in Lae, Morobe Province, accompanying a group of commissioners of the Bougainville Constitutional Planning Commission [BCPC].
President Toroama will join the celebrations at the Lae Botanical Garden while also launching the week-long Lae consultations for Bougainvilleans to give their views to the BCPC, on how they want their Constitution to be.
Executives of the Bougainville Community Lae City and officials from the BCPC Secretariat and the President's Office, finalised a program for the event in Lae.
Officials of the Morobe Provincial Government along with Governor Luther Wenge are also expected to grace the event.
Lae MP and Deputy Prime Ministet John Rosso, welcomed President Toroama and his delegation on Friday at the Lae Tomodachi Airport at Nadzab, having boarded the same flight. DPM Rosso is also anticipated at today's event.
The BCPC consultations for Lae will commence on Sunday the 16th at the Auditorium at the University of Technology, and end on Wednesday 19th at the Institute of Forestry.
Similarly in Port Moresby the Bougainville community gathered at the University of Papua New Guinea's Main Lecture Theater [MLT] to be addressed by Vice President of ABG Patrick Nisira.
"This is a very important process now we are taking to finalize the second draft of our constitution.
"We need everyone [Bougainvilleans] around the country to contribute ideas,"Mr Nisira said.