Survey shows Bougainvilleans still uninformed about vote

2:26 pm on 4 July 2019

A survey of more than 1,000 Bougainvilleans has found people still need to know more about the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the upcoming referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea.

Flag of autonomous region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea

Photo: manganganath/123RF

The vote is currently scheduled for October.

One of the key findings of the second Bougainville Audience Study is the need for continuous awareness in the lead up to the referendum and beyond.

The Autonomous Bougainville Government's communications director, Adriana Schmidt, says the report provides a clear picture of the information needs of Bougainvilleans going into the vote.

She said people want to know more about what the two options - greater autonomy and independence - mean in practical terms, and to understand what happens after the vote.

Reaching out to inform the people is the role of the Bougainville Referendum Commission, which is run by both governments, and other agencies managed by the ABG.

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