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NRI launches referendum reports in Buka

The Bougainville Referendum Project team under the National Research Institute (NRI) launched the two referendum reports that will be distributed to more than 300 readers in Bougainville.

Those readers include students from high schools, primary schools, members of the Bougainville House of Representative (BHoR) and to secretaries of the fourteen departments.

According to the Team Leader of the Bougainville Referendum Project Dr Thomas Webster, the reports were launched in Port Moresby on May 30 this year.

Mr Webster said that they would like to see that those reports be distributed as widely as possible. He acknowledged the Education Department that will be distributing the books to schools around Bougainville.

Dr Webster said that he was concerned that time was running out.

“One thing I am concerned about as I read this report and the report stresses about is that there is a whole lot of priority work required for an effective referendum to be conducted and time is running out, there’s very little time and so it is important that the National Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government make sure that the processes are speeded up and the preparations are adequately catered for so that we have a proper and well conducted referendum,” Dr Webster said.

“It is a first time a referendum will be conducted in PNG. The challenge for the two governments and for all of us is to ensure that we prepare well, have a referendum that’s well administered and a result that is credible and respected so that we are all happy with all the results and eventuall lead to a peaceful outcome which was the whole objective of the peace agreement and the referendum,” he added.

The reports are titled A comparative study of independence referendums and Independence Referendum; History, Practice and Outcomes.

The President Hon. John Momis, Acting Speaker, Hon. Francesca Semoso and Hon Albert Punghau, Minister for Bougainville Peace Agreement Implementation (BPAI) were guest speakers at the launch.

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