Indecision over referendum question delaying meeting

The Papua New Guinea and Bougainville governments can't agree just what question to ask in the Bougainville referendum on possible independence.

The indecision is delaying preparations for the referendum, which Bougainville has tentatively planned to hold next June.

Decisions are meant to be formally agreed at the Joint Supervisory Board, or JSB, which is headed by the respective leaders of PNG and Bougainville, Peter O'Neill and John Momis.

But meetings of the JSB have been delayed several times in recent months.

The deputy opposition leader in the PNG parliament, and member for South Bougainville, Tim Masiu, told Don Wiseman that he questioned Mr O'Neill in parliament about the continuing delays.