ABG wants joint supervisory body meeting postponed

THE Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) wants next week’s proposed Joint Supervisory Body meeting postponed because the Government is yet to play its part on the constitutional regulations.
ABG’s attorney-general Ezekiel Masatt, who is also in charge of the Bougainville independence mission, said the lack of commitment by the Government was frustrating.
When the joint supervisory body met in April, the ABG tabled a draft of the constitutional regulations – the final agreement providing a guide on the process to introduce the independence result to Parliament.
Then Prime Minister James Marape instructed the Government’s technical team to work with Bougainville on a joint draft of the constitutional regulations.
This is yet to be done. Masatt accused the Government team of failing to do its part.
“The ABG and the Government have concluded all joint post-referendum consultations resulting in the signing of the Era Kone Covenant,” he said.
“The parties agreed to implement the referendum results on independence through the constitutional regulation.
“That is, and must only be, the focus of our joint technical teams’ discussions.”
Masatt said as per the agreed referendum results implementation roadmap jointly signed by the Bougainville and PNG governments in July 2021, it was agreed that ratification was to occur in 2023.
He reminded the Marape-led Government to work with the ABG in implementing the referendum outcome on independence without fail.
He said the Government had more than 20 years to fully honour its moral, legal, and constitutional obligations.