1 Mar 2019

Bougainville independence referendum postponed

8:42 pm on 1 March 2019

The Bougainville independence referendum has been deferred from June to October.

John Momis and Peter O'Neill

John Momis and Peter O'Neill Photo: RNZ / AFP

A meeting today in Port Moresby between the Papua New Guinea national government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government resolved to defer the referendum to 12 October.

The Bougainville Referendum Commission had requested the referendum be postponed due to a lack of funding for preparations for the plebiscite and incomplete voter registration.

Under the terms of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, the referendum must be held by June 2020.

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