Minister Makiba pushing for ratification

The National National
From left: Mul-Baiyer MP Jacob Maki, North Bougainville MP Francesca Semoso and Northern Governor Gary Juffa at Parliament yesterday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

BOUGAINVILLE Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba says Parliament will determine a sessional order to allow for the ratification of the Bougainville referendum result.
He said this was the only procedural issue between the State and Bougainville due to the terms contained in the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the Constitution.
“This 11th Parliament will be called upon to make a decision to settle the future political status of Bougainville after the ratification procedure is adopted.
“On June 13, 2023, I proposed to this House in my ministerial statement the procedure for ratification by way of a sessional order was for the Members of Parliament to deliberate and debate on and a draft sessional order has been proposed to this House.
“After I proposed the sessional order, a number of issues have been raised by the Autonomous Bougainville Government in relation to the contents of the sessional order.
“Therefore, on July 31st, a joint supervisory body (JSB) meeting was called to address that.
“In that JSB meeting a resolution was reached and it was that the sessional order would be the procedure by which the ratification is to be had,” Makiba said.
He said this in response to a question raised by North Bougainville MP Francesca Semoso, who sought an update on the work being done about the Bougainville referendum result.
“We are in the second month of 2024,” Semoso said.
“2023 was the time for the ratification of the referendum result.
“What is the Government’s plan for this year regarding this issue.
“The people of PNG and Bougainville want to know how far have we come?”
Makiba said the sessional order was the only step needed to done this year to ratify the Bougainville referendum result.
“The programme for this year is for the Government to adopt and put before this Parliament to adopt that sessional order that I am talking about.
“That is the only issue we have to conclude the longstanding Bougainville peace process.
“Ratification is what is required for this Parliament at the moment.
“The only thing left for this Parliament to do is to ratify the referendum result,” he said.