Referendum talk should have never accompanied autonomy

Member for Abau and Public Service Minister, Sir Puka Temu.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, August 28, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

MEMBER for Abau, Minister for Public Service and senior Government frontbencher, Sir Puka Temu, broached the topic of Bougainville and governance issues surrounding the autonomous region- saying that of governance and capacitating issues were affective the timely transfer of powers have that posed a dilemma in the constitution.

He said with the sensitivity of the Bougainville issue, not much debate had occurred on critical issues pertaining to the creation of an autonomous region and possible independence may have repercussions.

“The dilemma therefore is that other ministries fail to help their counterparts on the other side to develop the enabling legislation to realise autonomy on Bougainville,” Sir Puka said.

“Similar to what happened to this country when this parliament passed the organic law of provincial and local level governments. Under that provision, which is the structure for service delivery within the country, there were many enabling laws that were to be passed before this organic law on provincial government is actually effective.”

“When you look at public servants and us as politicians we will not move if we have not got the legal basis. That hasn’t taken place so without the law on that side we cannot transfer the functions to the other side. This is the dilemma we have right now.”

He referred also to the issue of the constitution and the ramifications that accompany the subject of autonomy which may follow in the disintegration of the country if the Bougainville experience goes as far as independence.

“My own view- it may be provocative but I will do it. I believe that when we talk about autonomy, we should have never talked about the referendum for independence, because the constitution says Papua New Guinea must be one people, one nation, one country.”

“I believe to allow the constitutional reform to allow Bougainville for independence think my humble opinion is unconstitutional.”

“Constitution is the mother law, but we allow that amendment to take place and now we are looking at a referendum that the (ABG) president has pronounced for 2019 and we have a team to look at assessing how we are doing, have we performed, have we complied with that peace agreement.”

“If we don’t comply and have a referendum. What does this parliament do? Do we hold it back? How will they respond? To me these are the issues because of the sensitivities we have not allowed proper debate in the process, but the beauty of it is as a young nation we are now experiencing the autonomous provisional government process through ABG.”

Temu elaborated that an opportunity to provide legislation is needed in the country for the government to respond to other provinces seeking autonomy such as Morobe, New Ireland, East New Britain, and Central Province, which the Member for Abau hinted would announced soon.

“And therefore politically sensitive, should we allow the word autonomy in our legislation and national conversation?” he pointed out.

He alluded to a review currently undergoing on the provincial and local level government laws where the word autonomy has been discussed to be withheld using the words like ‘greater devolvement of power to the provinces’.

“We need to have this conversation as a people and a nation.”