The people of Bougainville need to understand their upcoming independence referendum is not binding, Papua New Guinea's prime minister says.
Bougainville president John Momis and PNG prime minister Peter O'Neill. Photo: Facebook / Aloysius Laukai
In October, Bougainville will vote on whether to remain as an autonomous region of PNG or become fully independent.
But prime minister Peter O'Neill said it needed to be stressed that after the vote the PNG national parliament would debate the matter and decide the final outcome.
The Post Courier reported Mr O'Neill saying that the Bougainville people needed to understand independence would ultimately be granted by the national parliament.
The Bougainville Peace Agreement states that both governments will consider the result and then it will be referred to the national parliament for ratification.