28 Jun 2018

Bougainville hopes key referendum issue settled at JSB meeting

11:33 am on 28 June 2018

The President of Bougainville John Momis says there are key matters that must be resolved when he meets with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill this Friday.

President of the autonomous Bougainville government, John Momis.

President of the autonomous Bougainville government, John Momis. Photo: RNZI

The leaders will head a key meeting of the Joint Supervisory Board, the JSB, which considers issues relating to the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

And the most critical matter at the moment is the referendum on possible independence scheduled for next year.

The JSB meetings have frequently been deferred by Port Moresby but Mr Momis said they have important issues to resolve and they won't let the national government procrastinate any longer.

"Funding for example, the gazettal of the independent chair [of the Referendum Commission, former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern] who has been agreed upon, but he must be gazetted at the national level as well as at our level here.

"Also we have to resolve the question, or questions, to be put to the people of Bougainville when they vote on their future."

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