The next phase in Bougainville’s transition from autonomy
to independence has begun after parliamentarians passed a
motion Thursday to convert the autonomous region’s House of
Representatives into a Constituent Assembly, the
Bougainville government says.
The motion, tabled by
President Ishmael Toroama, was unanimously passed by
Bougainville’s legislators in Arawa, a
week after high-level independence moderation talks were
held in Port Moresby.
The Autonomous Bougainville
Government (ABG) said the conversion of the House of
Representatives into the Bougainville Constituent Assembly
sets the stage for the deliberation and adoption of
Bougainville’s Independence Constitution, a critical step
towards self-governance.
While Papua New Guinea’s
Prime Minister James Marape has said that Bougainville needs
focus
on economic readiness ahead of its political status,
Toroama said it was a historical day in Bougainville’s
political journey to independence.
“This day marks the
departure from being autonomous to independence status,” he
said.
He said it was the day Bougainvilleans had been
waiting for.
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“The Bougainville House of
Representatives [serves] as the legitimate representative
institution to materialise 97.7 percent vote for
independence chosen through the constitutionally guaranteed
referendum.
“Let us be clear…that this motion
signals the political journey for Bougainville moving to
independence status.”
Bougainville’s Attorney-General
and Minister for Bougainville Independence Mission
Implementation Ezekiel Masatt said the conversion was
necessary.
It would ensure the Assembly could
effectively deal with matters relating to the new
independence constitution, which is expected to be tabled
later this year,” he said.
Members of the Bougainville
Constituent Assembly will be sworn in on Friday before
convening for their first meeting at 11am (BST).
The
ABG said the session will include an induction on the rules
and procedures of the Constituent Assembly and a briefing on
their roles.
The membership of the Constituent
Assembly will include: all members of the House of
Representatives, all four national MPs of parliament, three
regional head commissioners of the Bougainville
Constitutional Planning Commission (BCPC), and three female
commissioners of the
BCPC.
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