THE autonomous region of Bougainville can still hold a referendum without conducting a weapons disposal program.
Autonomous Bougainville government President John Momis said this yesterday in response to a question from the Post-Courier on whether weapons possession by Bougainvilleans will impact on the referendum. The veteran MP warned thathaving weapons in the possession of Bougainvilleans could affect the final outcome of a referendum. "I would like to say that although weapons disposal is not complete it is more than partially complete because those who are holding onto weapons are not using it at all. It (weapons possession) won’t stop the referendum but it would certainly impact on the final outcome," he said yesterday in a workshop at the 30th Papua New Guinea-Australia Business Forum in Cairns, Australia. "Let me make it clear it will not stop the referendum but it will affect the final outcome of course. "The people of Bougainville deserve to have a real choice; the people are free to make a choice so I can safely say the issue will be seriously addressed before the end of the year." Mr Momis told the workshop participants that there were still pockets of communities on Bougainville that had divisions and comprised factions that did not participate in the negotiations for the Bougainville Peace Agreement. However, there were signs thatthey were moving slowly to work with the ABG said the president. "There are factions that did not participate in the negotiation for the peace agreement. "But for the most part the eadership of the factions – those associated with the Me’ekamui government by Francis Ona in 1998 – are in various ways moving slowly to more close cooperation with the ABG," he said. PNG Facts/ Post Courier Comments are closed.
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