Awareness campaign starts on B’ville referendum

THE national and Autonomous Bougainville Governments (ABG) have begun a nationwide rollout of the awareness campaign on the Bougainville referendum.
The National Coordination Office for Bougainville Affairs (NCOBA) along with the ABG Department of Peace Agreement Implementation (DPAI) started the programme in Port Moresby at the weekend.
The event attracted a major turnout of Bougainvilleans living in NCD and students from tertiary institutions around the city. NCOBA’s acting director, John Avira, said that the nationwide awareness campaign was part of a Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting agreement between both governments chaired by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and ABG President John Momis.
“The awareness will cover all four regions, including Port Moresby (southern region), Kokopo (New Guinea Islands), Lae and Madang (Mamose), and Goroka (Highlands),” Avira said.
Secretary for ABG DPAI James Tanis said that it was of paramount importance that all Bougainvilleans around the country were well-versed with the progress and eligibility of next year’s referendum and that the awareness would be vital for information dissemination and face-to-face interaction.
Avira added: “It has been agreed to at the JSB level that all Bougainvilleans around the country will be eligible to vote for Bougainville’s future political status as long as they are eligible through the age requirement of 18 years and over, as well as meeting set criteria where your origin can be traced through clan and customary land association together.”
Many Bougainvilleans who attended the weekend eventwere concerned about the levels at which the requirements to reach the referendum were at, the implementation and status of the three pillars of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, and eligibility and voter registration and electoral roll update.