President of the autonomous Bougainville government, John Momis. Photo: RNZI
The President of Bougainville John Momis says any decision on the lifting of the mining exploration moratorium is for his cabinet to make.
This comes after the legislature in the Papua New Guinea autonomous region supported a full lifting of the moratorium in a session last week.
The moratorium has been in place since the 1970s and there has been criticism of it being lifted without consultation.
But President Momis said that while the government consulted with the people through their representatives in parliament, the decision is the cabinet's to make and that is yet to happen.
"The consultation that we had with Parliament was just to get the views of the people through their representatives," said Mr Momis.
"It is the BEC [Bougainville Executive Council] that makes the decision to lift or not to lift, partially or globally, the moratorium. So ultimately the power is vested in the BEC, that is the Cabinet."