Referendum a sensitive issue and should be left to Bougainville

THIS follows a news report on May 5, 2017, of NRI’s proposed research on the issue of Bougainville referendum.
According to the news report, this proposed project has been initiated by NRI to address issues before the referendum is held.
While I appreciate previous work done by NRI on many national issues and the fact that in most cases, NRI research outcomes have influenced government decisions, NRI needs to be extra cautious in conducting this very sensitive issue of referendum.
This calls for clear terms of reference from the proposed study.
NRI needs to clearly specify with evidence as to what are the expected problems that may affect the outcome of the referendum.
Without any specific, sufficient and evidence based information as to why there is a need for the proposed project, one wonders whether there are hidden motives behind this project.
This proposed project also raises serious questions as to where the authority to conduct this referendum is coming from.
Is it a direction from the Government of PNG, the Bougainville Referendum Commission or it is just an own initiative from NRI.
Secondly, the timing of this project raises some suspicions.
If there is a need to conduct this project, why wasn’t it conducted at least five or six years ago?
Why now, just two years before the referendum is held?
Another issue is that of biasness.
NRI is a PNG Government-funded institution and given the sensitivity of the issues of weapons disposal and referendum, it raises serious questions whether the outcome of this project will be credible.
If NRI is concerned about issues of good governance and weapons disposal in the country, why not go to the Highlands region to conduct a research  project as to how the presence of weapons kept by tribal groups influence election results.
Weapons disposal and referendum issues for Bougainville are very sensitive issues and it is only fair that NRI stays out of this.

Joel Minsipi