Concern over registration process

Members of the Port Moresby Bougainville Association (PBA) are concerned about the process of registering their names on the Referendum roll, chairman Paul Nerau says.
Nerau told The National they hear that they have to go to their villages and register or contact family members to register their names.
“We are told that if we register in our villages, we have to go there and vote which is not practical because it is very expensive to get to Bougainville,” Nerau said.
“And for voting we are not sure where we can vote, is voting going to be made available for us here (in Port Moresby) and those in other urban centres too?”
He said those concerns were raised at a PBA meeting over the weekend.
“We want confirmation where we can put our names in the referendum roll and for voting we cannot be expected to all return to Bougainville to vote,” he said.
“We believe that this is our democratic right and if not addressed properly, members have said we will take it to court.”
Meanwhile, he said the Bougainville landowners must be made aware of the amendments to the Mining Act.
Nerau said any changes to the Act must have sufficient discussion and the people must be made truly aware of the consequences.
“The Mining Act is well-researched and has followed all the due processes and we believe if there is going to be any changes, it must not be rushed,” he said.