BOUGAINVILLE LEADERS PUSH BACK AS NAMAH QUESTIONS INDEPENDENCE PATH

BY NIGEL MADO

Bougainville leaders have defended the region’s independence aspirations following remarks in Parliament by Vanimo-Green MP Belden Namah during debate on the bipartisan report into the 2019 Bougainville Referendum.

The debate, which marked a major milestone in the post-referendum process, exposed differing views on the future political relationship between Papua New Guinea and Bougainville.

Namah told Parliament that the National Parliament retained the constitutional authority to deliberate on and ultimately determine the outcome of the referendum. He also raised concerns about Bougainville’s preparedness for nationhood and argued that any decision on political status must be guided by constitutional and legal considerations as well as national interests. Reports of his contribution generated strong reactions both in Parliament and across Bougainville.

In response, Autonomous Bougainville Government President Ishmael Toroama issued a message to Bougainvilleans, describing the parliamentary debate as a critical test of the mandate delivered by the 97.8 per cent of voters who supported independence in the 2019 referendum.

Toroama said Bougainville’s political aspirations for self-determination predated Papua New Guinea’s independence and argued that the referendum result represented the culmination of decades of struggle, sacrifice and reconciliation by the people of Bougainville.

He maintained that the overwhelming vote for independence could not be dismissed as a temporary political sentiment, but reflected a long-standing aspiration that had survived conflict and years of peacebuilding efforts.

The ABG President also defended Bougainville’s record since the signing of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, arguing that assessments of the autonomous government should take into account the challenges of post-conflict recovery and institution building.

Toroama further suggested that progress on implementing elements of the Peace Agreement had been affected by a lack of commitment from successive national governments to fully honour the agreement’s provisions.