Respect the constitution

THE 40-day deadline is looming after the referendum outcome on Bougainville.
Under the Papua New Guinea constitution and international law, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (formerly North Solomons province) is very much an inherent part of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.
Leaving political and legal issues aside, Bougainville needs to come to its sense and realise that PNG cannot continue to undue its entrenched autochthonous values of its sovereignty text in the 1975 constitution.
It was Bougainville who first threatened with secession resulting in its granting of provincial status in 1977.
Than in 1989 it fought to secede from the rest of PNG, which eventually led to a cease fire agreement and granting them the autonomous status.
This was done with a major amendment to the constitution.
Despite all these, the framers of the constitution never envisioned a rebellious and fragmented PNG when the constitution was framed.
These was done under pressure to suit the prevailing political tensions.
As a citizen, I challenge the Ombudsman Commission and the attorney-general to file an application to dispute the outcome of the Bougainville referendum.
They should take out injunctions with threat to apply the relevant provisions of the constitution to use the full force of the law on citizens speaking contemptuously against the country and promote secession.
Politicians, citizens and leaders who are speaking for Bougainville at the outcome of the referendum or other similar issues should be held to account for their seditious statements against the constitution.
Have them arrested.
We cannot allow citizens to speak on secession and seditious issues and get away without being arrested and charged.
PNG is an independent country, a nation among nations of the world and its territorial boundaries and its laws should be respected.
I challenge every Bougainvillean leaders, Papua New Guineans to respect the due process and do not speak contemptuously by making seditious comments either directly or by reference.
Come 2020 and beyond, we should respect the laws and the country’s sovereignty – a sovereign right internationally recognised by operations of public international law and our 1975 constitution.
As a citizen, I challenge all instrumentality of government responsible for the protection of the constitution to rise up and act now or never!

Koreken Levi,
Lawyer & Bureaucrat