Transcript
The Bougainville referendum on independence from PNG in November last year was overwhelmingly in favour of independence - supported by 98 percent of voters.
The result first has to go to consultations between the two governments and then to the PNG parliament for ratification - a process some have suggested will take years.
There were expectations the consultations would get underway from the beginning of the year, but the Bougainville government has been distracted by other issues, such as trying to change the constitution to allow president John Momis to contest a third term.
Q: During the JSB Mr Momis raised questions about this ratification process. What was he concerned about?
Mr Momis says a consultative approach will help both governments but the results of the referendum cannot be ignored, and this must be centre place when the matter goes before the PNG parliament.
To reinforce the point the leaders have agreed that the justice departments of both governments will work on an agreed definition of what is meant by this term 'ratification.'
Q: What else did the meeting decide?
Well it changed its name. Instead of being the Joint Supervisory Body, which suggests a subservient position for Bougainville vis a vis Port Moresby, it has now become the JCB or Joint Consultative Body, according to Bougainville South MP, and PNG cabinet minister Tim Masiu.
But the Post Courier has reported the Bougainville Minister Sir Puka Temu saying some sort of secretariat would be established in its place.
So there is a name change, but we are not sure to just what.
Q: Did the meeting discuss civil war firearms that remain in the community?
Well the presence of guns in the community, held by former fighters from both sides, was always seen as a threat leading up to the referendum and one of the requirements of the Peace Agreement is that the guns, or most of them, were removed, and there had been several amnesties over the years.
The JSB agreed that the level of gun surrender met the requirements of the peace agreement and that anyone found with guns now will face charges under the PNG Firearms Act.
The PNG Prime Minister James Marape announced at the meeting that his government would throw its support behind an economic summit in Bougainville in October.
He says it's important for Bougainville standing on its own feet.
Q: With that in mind, what else is the PNG government doing?
Well the miner, Rio Tinto, walked away from the controversial Panguna mine in 2016, splitting its majority shareholding in the company that did the mining, Bougainville Copper Ltd, or BCL, between the two governments.
It's been talked about before, but now James Marape has told the JSB that BCL shares given to the PNG government are being given to the Bougainville government.
This makes Bougainville the majority shareholder in BCL but it is still not clear if the shares have any value.
The Bougainville government wants the mine re-opened but it is trying to do this with another vehicle, involving an unproven Australian company - a move that would require it to change its own, much lauded, Mining Act.
So that is another watch this space issue... along with whether or not John Momis can get the courts to agree to him running for a third term, before the writs for the election are issued in a matter of weeks.
