The head of the body running Bougainville's independence referendum says it has done its best to raise the standard of the upcoming vote.
Bougainville's House of Representatives was briefed on preparation for the region's independence vote by the Bougainville Referendum Commission's chairman, Bertie Ahern, the former Irish Prime Minister. 25 September, 2019 Photo: Bougainville Referendum Commission
Polling for Bougainville's vote on independence from Papua New Guinea is to start in late November.
The autonomous region's House of Representatives was briefed today on preparation for the vote by the Bougainville Referendum Commission's chairman.
Bertie Ahern, the former Irish Prime Minister, told the legislature that he was confident it would be a free, fair and efficient referendum process.
"In any democracy anywhere, there's no such thing as a hundred percent perfection in the election process," Mr Ahern said.
"I've seen that in my own country, and throughout Europe and the world for that matter. But we have endeavoured to get it as high a standard and as high a bar as we possibly could."
Mr Ahern said the commission's work preparing for the referendum was always aimed at being neutral, impartial, transparent, professional and inclusive.
He said the commission was guided by the Bougainville Peace Agreement, and decisions by both PNG and Bougainville governments.
"I know sometimes in meetings I've been at with youth groups, and some of the farming groups, and some of the women's groups, people said 'why did you decide on that?' and I think you all understand, but just to say it again because it became our mantra - we decide nothing. "We just check the rules and we abide by the rules."
During the briefing, Mr Ahern alluded to the pressures often faced in the cash-strapped PNG electoral environment.
"We've had to run a tight budget, and that has been stretched by the extension operations across many locations," he said.
"We're working according to the financial guidelines of the two governments. We're accountable for every kina to you, to the national government and the donor community.
"We want to avoid the practice that often happens at election times of holding the process to random because someone didn't get paid. We've done our best to deal with all these issues, but they have been testing at times."
The writs for Bougainville's referendum are to be issued by PNG's Governor-General on Friday.