Referendum book outlines politics, record

THE Australian National University has published a book to help people better understand the arrangements for the Bougainville referendum.
Published by the university’s department of Pacific affairs and written by Anthony J. Regan, an expert on Bougainville, The Bougainville Referendum: Law, Administration and Politics, will benefit policy makers in Papua New Guinea, Bougainville and others involved in the referendum.
It explains the complex arrangements of the referendum.
It also outlines the history and contemporary politics of Bougainville.
Regan provides an account of the negotiations that led to the Bougainville Peace Agreement of 2001.
He suggests what may be needed to ensure that the referendum is free and fair
He also examines how the deferred referendum, as part of the long-term peace process, impacts on peace-building.
Reviewer Dr Stewart Firth said Regan managed to bring out a number of widely held myths about the referendum.
Firth said among them, that if the Bougainvilleans vote for independence, they will automatically gain independence.
But in reality, the PNG Government can say “no”, he added.