Referendum best Xmas gift: Sir Puka

THE successful delivery of the Bougainville Referendum is the best Christmas gift from Papua New Guinea to the international community, Bougainville Affairs Minister Sir Puka Temu says.
“We have shown to the world that we can deliver a peaceful referendum with the results for independence,” he said.
“Everyone was concern about the aftermath of the referendum as in other parts of the world, it always turned out to be violent after a referendum was held. But it was different in PNG as the referendum result was peaceful.”
Sir Puka said this during the closing of the National Coordination Office Of Bougainville Affairs (NCOBA) for the festive season in Port Moresby yesterday.
“Christmas is all about peace and joy and on this occasion it is reflected in our performance for 2019 when we successfully delivered the three pillars of Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) so far and that is we have delivered, the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), weapons disposal and the referendum.
“Those three pillars were delivered through the peaceful process and I think the spirit of the BPA is the spirit of Christmas in 2019.
“That is why there is peace among us. In many parts of the world there is violence still going on during the post referendum stage like in South Sudan in Africa. In here there is only peace.”