A cabinet minister in the Autonomous Bougainville Government is today to make a statement to parliament calling for next year's ABG general election to be delayed, for at least a year.
A tentative date of June 15th 2019 has been set for a referendum on possible independence in the Autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
The Minister in Charge of Peace Agreement Implementation, Albert Punghau, said it is too close to November's referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea.
The referendum itself was delayed for five months.
The five-year ABG election cycle means a vote should happen by June of next year, but Mr Punghau says he's presenting his statement because the election timing will impact on negotiations over the outcome of the referendum vote.
"The parliament will debate it and then we will go for consultations throughout Bougainville for the next six weeks or so, and then we will come back again for the same debate in December sitting, and then final one in March next year, before we can move the amendment of the Constitution of Bougainville to move the parliament sitting to 2021 or so."