PM talks of way forward

By PRIME MINISTER
JAMES MARAPE
Today (on Friday) I sat at Arawa with Bougainville people and President Momis as their PM. When the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement was signed, I was a number in the crowd, a non-politician in PNG.
How time flies, circumstances changes and here I am in 2019, after 7 PMs who all were my forerunners who did their best for PNG and Bougainville, it is now my time to tidy the loose ends for our people.
I told Bougainvilleans that I am here to honour the 2001 peace agreement. This includes honour to both flags, both people, people in Bougainville and people in the rest of PNG.
Not too many countries in conflicts have gone down the path we have travelled over the last 18 years up till today to allow referendum and find peace and political solutions by peaceful means.
We are showing the world that Melanesian consensus can have good outcome that is a win-win for all the people in our country.
I have in my heart of hearts that God will lead us to that place that both Bougainville and PNG seek.
A place where no bullets are fired again but Christian love, peace and tolerance of differences is borne so that all people are truly independent by living an economic and socially prosperous livelihood.
Massive thanks to the thousands who turned up in Arawa today to be with me and President Momis as we talked on the way forward, including concluding the 2001 peace agreement that also says that the vote is non-binding, meaning national parliament can reject the outcome.
As I indicated in Arawa, we will now enter into Melanesian dialogue, leader to leader, people to people, public servants to public servants, etc before the vote result be brought to Parliament for its deliberations.
We must find a win-win solution, a sweet spot where Bougainville’s desire for self-rule is not harmed and PNG’s desire for national unity is embraced.
I appeal for calm and tolerance amongst all our citizens; Bougainville and PNG were caught in a conflict that was not our doing only 14 years into nationhood in 1988. Colonial boundaries set many years before 1900s and colonial resource laws inherited in 1975 caused the tension that led into a bloody crisis.
But since 2001’s home-grown peace agreements and our resolve to promote peace where no more bullets was fired, it shows that Melanesian family can find home-grown Melanesian solutions.
I ask the rest of PNGeans, let’s embrace our relatives in Bougainville for they embraced me today as their PM despite me telling them in Arawa that PNG will fly the National Flag and protect our sovereign borders.
They accepted that independence or otherwise is part of another round of partnership dialogue for solutions into the future.
They allowed PNG flag to remain as myself, Governors Sir Peter Ipatas, Oro Governor Gary Juffa, East Sepik Governor Allan Bird and Southern Highlands Governor William Powi and Transport Minister William Samb, Lands Minister John Rosso and Communications Minister Timothy Masiu left Arawa at 4.30pm today.
The message I left for them was, the rest of present day PNGeans commit to build their infrastructures and economy into the future until such time we find mutually beneficial political solutions.
Just because past governments have failed them must not give them view that in the future we will fail them. Panguna served our country 14 years of the last 44 years, so we will continue to serve them going forward.
Today to honour our words since I assumed office mid this year, we presented further K50 million for infrastructures, including for school of nursing and a technical college. We also indicated that 10 per cent of SME funds will be channelled through BSP and NDB banks in Bougainville for their businesses to borrow from so their economy can be grown and anchored.
I also announced the return of the 39 per cent of BCL shares the national government held to be returned to their government and for half of that to be apportioned to Panguna landowners.
We have come a long way, many lives have been lost, the integrity of our national unity is at stake, thus I appeal to all PNGeans and Bougainvilleans, let’s not be emotional but sensible as we work through this complex situation.
The least we all can do is refrain from unnecessary commentaries but go into prayers and dialogues that embrace unity in diversity of our tribes, languages and peaceful solutions amidst differences.