Post-Referendum in Bougainville
The period after the referendum vote is often referred to as the Post-Referendum Transition.
It is a period when serious negotiations and consultations between the government of Papua New Guinea and Bougainville will begin, based on the result of the Bougainville Referendum.
The Bougainville Peace Agreement does not provide a solution for all the issues related to the post-referendum period, however it is envisaged that the principle of the Peace Agreement which is ‘peace by peaceful means’ continues to be maintained throughout this process.
In the September 2019 sitting of the Bougainville House of Representatives, the ABG Vice President introduced the ABG’s Negotiation Framework to parliament.
This Framework is an all-inclusive, collaborative, consensual and consultative framework aimed to enable all Bougainvilleans to fully and effectively participate in the post-referendum consultations and negotiations.
This Negotiation Framework consists of a Consultation Forum and a Negotiation Team.
The Consultation Forum will be made up of representatives of all stakeholders in Bougainville including ABG Ministers and Members, Community Governments, Bougainville Veterans, Mekamui Government of Unity, Women, Youth, Churches, Business Houses and expatriate Bougainvilleans.
Its key role will be to discuss and agree on important issues for negotiation. These issues will then be passed on to the ABG Negotiation Team who will engage directly with the Government of Papua New Guinea.
The first meeting of the Consultation Forum will be in Buka on the 23rd to 24th of January, and representatives from all stakeholders in Bougainville will come together to discuss and strategize on pre-ratification consultations before going into the next step of joint consultations with the national government.
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