Lack of Govt commitment could determine referendum result

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, April 24, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

THE warning was echoed by Opposition Leader and Member for Kandep on Wednesday regarding the lack commitment shown by the Government in honouring its end of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

Mr Polye said that when the referendum takes place in 2019, the current actions or lack thereof by the current government would only push the Autonomous Region further away from the country.

“If the national government shows a lax attitude- if it is not prompt to maintain its part of the bargain in that partnership than the people will decide accordingly in the referendum in 2019,” he said.

“The people will decide to be self-determining or to continue to remain as an autonomous region. It is very difficult for the people to make a decision to remain an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea if the National Government does not show an interest as we are seeing today.”

“Young people, business, governance suffers as the autonomous government cannot provide the funding that it required. That is the sad scenario. That will have been caused by the Government’s slackness and complacency or lack of interest attitude we see today.”

He said whatever the result of the referendum was, all should be aware along with both the Autonomous Regional Government and National Government should know in the agreement the process would not be “a short cut” process but a rather long strenuous one.

“If the people of Bougainville want to be independent from PNG it will not be the end as that decision is then referred back to parliament who will then debates that the results and then it goes down to the government on the ground to discuss then the final determination result will be decided on,” Polye said.

“In fact the Bougainville peace agreement is a model that is used as a model world over where similar challenges like this. Even the Indonesians use it, the UN hailed it as one of the best for other countries to use in similar situations.”

“Despite this it is important that the management of such a good agreement progresses effectively, efficiently so that every milestone that is enshrined in the agreement is met along the way to the last decision.”