Congratulations to new adviser

I CONGRATULATE the new chief legal adviser to the PNG government.
Let me put to the new minister Alfred Manase to become well acquainted with the Bougainville peace agreement which paved the way for the Constitutional amendments which later paved way for the upcoming Bougainville Referendum.
I say this because during the last Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting between PNG and Bougainville leaders, Manase and Pila
Niningi both tried to include a separate agenda on the legality of the Bougainville Referendum which provides for separate Bougainville.
This agenda put forward by the two leaders, however, could not be allowed as an agenda.
What Manase needs to know is that the Bougainville peace agreement which provides for a referendum is an important agreement because it assisted in bringing peace and normalcy to both Bougainville and PNG.
The people of Bougainville will be closely observing how
the new minister will assist in providing legal advice to PNG, particularly in relation to the referendum.
For the new minister to try to seek legal interpretation of the PNG Constitution to nullify the provision of ‘separate independence for Bougainville’ on the basis that it is a threat to PNG’s sovereignty, the minister must understand that the PNG Parliament will still exercise its sovereignty by ratifying the Bougainville Referendum results.
The minister needs to understand two equally important forces of state sovereignty and self-determination that are both recognised under international laws.
While the minister has a duty to protect State sovereignty under the PNG Constitution, he must also be mindful of his duty to allow the people to determine their own political future.

Woi kai Yewo