Pacific / Papua New Guinea

PNG PM proposes cabinet visit to Bougainville

13:18 pm on 5 July 2019

Papua New Guinea's prime minister James Marape has proposed taking his full cabinet to Bougainville.

James Marape the member for Tari Pori is the new prime minister of Papua New Guinea. May 2019 Photo: Post Courier Newspaper

The autonomous PNG region is preparing for an upcoming independence referendum.

A major national reconciliation ceremony, related to the decade-long civil war in Bougainville, is to take place there later this month.

Mr Marape has proposed that his cabinet go over to Bougainville to coincide with the reconciliation.

The cabinet would also attend a meeting of the joint supervisory body overseeing the implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement

The suggestion that PNG's cabinet go to Bougainville came from Sir Puka Temu, the Bougainville Affairs Minister.

Mr Marape said it would allow the government to drive from Bukla to Arawa and observe the state of Bougainville's main road.

The prime minister spoke of the emotions that visiting Bougainville aroused for him in the past.

He said it was important for the government to directly engage with the people of Bougainville who he described as Papua new Guineans at heart.