Toroama reiterates Bougainville’s stand on independence
Autonomous Bougainville Government [ABG] President Ishmael Toroama has reiterated that Bougainville’s push for self-governance is non-negotiable and cannot be diluted by administrative processes or performance benchmarks.
Speaking during the Joint Supervisory Body [JSB] meeting in Port Moresby on Wednesday, Toroama urged Prime Minister James Marape and the National Government to respect the 97.7 per cent vote for independence delivered in the 2019 Bougainville Referendum.
While acknowledging that Section 342 of the National Constitution gives the National Parliament the mandate to make the final decision, Toroama said the decision cannot be separated from the democratic mandate of the referendum.
He criticized the National Government’s formal position paper regarding a potential “non-affirming decision” by Parliament, stating that it is a masterpiece of bureaucratic evasion and historical revisionism.
He rejected suggestions that a parliamentary rejection would reset Bougainville back to an extended autonomy framework focused on drawing down powers and achieving fiscal self-reliance.
“Bougainville is moving away from the autonomy space, and let me make that clear,” Toroama said.
“The National Government is threatening our constitutional right to self-determination as if I were in a progress review or some corporate evaluation subject to an external yardstick that shifts political tides in the National Parliament.
“We do not need a clear pathway to revisit that question. The question has been asked, answered, and sealed in ink and blood.”
The President also raised concerns over decisions introduced in Parliament regarding a three-quarters voting threshold and specific timeframes, stating that these were made without joint consultation required under the Melanesian Agreement and the JSB resolution of Dec 5, 2025.
“Bougainville had no part in these decisions. As required by law, these were unilateral decisions made by the National Government and the Speaker of the National Parliament that affect our mandate,” he said.
He reminded leaders that the 2019 referendum was strictly supervised by the United Nations and certified by the current Speaker of Parliament, Job Pomat, during his tenure as Acting Governor-General.
He added that no objections or legal challenges were raised during the statutory 40-day appeal period following the certification.
Toroama confirmed that Bougainville’s stance is backed by the ABG House of Representatives, national MPs from Bougainville, and key regional accords including the Panguna Communiqué and the Buka Resolution.
He called on National MPs to fully embrace the Joint Consultation Report and the Melanesian Framework as the official roadmap forward, emphasizing that the UN and global partners continue to monitor the process.
“In the eyes of my people, there is legal justice and there is moral justice. With due respect, Prime Minister, Bougainville demands both,” Toroama concluded.