JSB endorses consultation report, Bougainville referendum vote heads to National Parliament on August 27

The Joint Supervisory Body has formally endorsed the Post-Consultation Report and the Melanesian Agreement in Port Moresby today, clearing the path for the Bougainville referendum results to be tabled in the National Parliament on August 27.

Co-chaired by Prime Minister James Marape and Autonomous Bougainville Government President Ishmael Toroama, the special meeting marked the official conclusion of post-referendum negotiations following the historic 2019 vote, where 97.7 per cent of Bougainvilleans voted for independence.

Under the agreed framework, the referendum outcome will be presented to the floor of Parliament for formal debate, with both leaders set to jointly determine the specific date for the decisive vote.

Addressing media following the closed-door session, Prime Minister Marape commended the resilience and patience of the people of Bougainville as both governments navigate the final constitutional stage of the peace process.

"This marks an important journey," Marape said. "The JSB we are having this morning is historic before we bring to rest the 97.7 per cent results of the referendum.

"Peace in 2001 was a construct of leadership from both sides as we tried to rest the civil crisis and move toward a future that is amicable. Section 342 of our Constitution clearly says Parliament will make this decision, and whatever that decision is, we must respect the parliamentary process."

However, President Toroama delivered a direct and uncompromising message to the National Government, rejecting any administrative or legal maneuvers aimed at dismissing the independence vote or reverting Bougainville to an extended autonomy model.

Toroama said the National Government’s potential non-affirming decision position was a dangerous legal fiction, and warned against treating Bougainville’s political future as a corporate performance review or political charity.

"Bougainville is moving away from the autonomy space, and let me make that clear," he said. "The question has been asked, answered, and sealed in ink and blood. We do not need a pathway to revisit that question.

"Any attempt by the National Parliament to vote down the referendum result, freeze us in a dead autonomy framework, or demand constitutional amendments is a rejection of the peace process itself."

The ABG President also voiced strong opposition to the unilateral introduction of a three-quarters voting threshold in the National Parliament, stating that the rule was established without the mandatory joint consultations required under the Melanesian Agreement.

Despite these, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the overarching spirit of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, emphasizing that the ongoing diplomatic oversight of the United Nations remains vital to ensuring international credibility as the transition reaches its climax.