Marape defines Bougainville as issue of national interest

PRIME Minister James Marape has stressed that Bougainville’s self-determination aspiration is of national interest and not an isolated issue.
Marape is in Kokopo, East New Britain for a joint post-referendum consultation meeting with Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama.
“The joint consultation must find a process that clearly indicates a way forward for the people of Bougainville as well as the rest of the country,” Marape said.
Marape said that the Government respected the results of the Bougainville referendum on independence in 2019.
He also acknowledged Toroama’s wish for independence to be granted to Bougainville by June 2025.
“I assure President Toroama and the people of Bougainville that the overwhelming result of the referendum will not be diluted and the Government will respect this outcome,” Marape said.
He said it was important to respect the guiding principles of the Bougainville Peace Agreement so that both government implemented it in its entirety.
Marape, however, was concerned about how Bougainville’s plans to become independent might have serious repercussions on the state of union in PNG.
He indicated that this could open the door for other resource-rich provinces to seek independence.
“Bougainvilleans and the rest of the country must understand that we are a diverse country and my responsibility is to preserve the union of the country,” he said.
Marape said, however, that Bougainville was a special case in PNG owing to the historic context of the Bougainville crisis and the calls for independence for Bougainville before PNG became independent.
Marape assured the Bougainville leaders at the meeting that if the Parliament failed to ratify the referendum results, the motion would be withdrawn and resubmitted for consultations with the Autonomous Region of Bougainville again.