PNG and Bougainville appear to have settled referendum hold up

The leaders of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have resolved an impasse over how the 'yes' result from the 2019 independence referendum will be tabled in the national parliament.

A major sticking point was the threshold for acceptance of independence for the autonomous region.

Bougainville politicians believed it would be a simple majority in parliament.

But in June PNG's minister of Bougainville Affairs, Manasseh Makiba, said an absolute majority of two thirds of MPs was needed for the vote on the referendum because it involved changing the constitution.

Now, a simple majority will be enough.

Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama and PNG Prime Minister James Marape met on Monday in Port Moresby along with other members of the Joint Supervisory Body which is tasked with oversight of the process.

The leaders agreed to bring in a mediator should future impasses arise and accepted an offer from Toroama and members of his autonomous Bougainville government to provide awareness to national MPs.

Marape and Toroama both acknowledged the complexity of the independence choice made by the people of Bougainville in a non-binding 2019 referendum in which 97.7 percent voted in favour.

They expressed their commitment to collectively address any issues arising from it.

Key resolutions and endorsements made during the JSB meeting include:

a) That the pathway to parliament will be through a sessional order, which is a temporary standing order.

b) The sessional order will only be moved after the content of the motion is agreed upon by the PNG minister for Bougainville Affairs and the autonomous Bougainville government minister for Bougainville Independence Mission Implementation.

c) The motion will be adopted by a simple majority.

d) The proposal to invite the ABG President and his leaders to provide awareness to nantional MPs has been accepted.

e) Other aspects of the post referendum matters will be dealt with under the constitutional regulation.