Situated 560 miles east of the Papua New Guinea mainland sits one of that nation's small islands, Bougainville. "Now, at least psychologically, we feel liberated," said John Momis, president of the regional autonomous government. .css-14iz86j-BoldText{font-weight:bold;}The people of Bougainville, an island group in Papua New Guinea, have voted overwhelmingly for independence. VideoRisking lives for Christmas trees, playThe refugees feeding a nation. This vote marked a key moment in the Bougainville peace process, but did not mark the end of the process. O n Saturday, the people of Bougainville â a small archipelago of islands flung 700km off the coast of Papua New Guinea in the Solomon Sea â will ⦠https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Bougainvillean_independence_referendum Country Director, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands, Senior Electoral Management Adviser, Papua New Guinea. I give full credit to the work of the Bougainville Referendum Commission, the Autonomous Bougainville Government under the leadership of President Momis and the people of Bougainville who ensured that the referendum period was safe and that all Bougainvilleans could cast their vote.”. .css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link{color:inherit;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:focus,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:focus{color:#B80000;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link::after,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited::after{content:'';position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;z-index:2;}Bougainville: Will it become the world's next country? More than 181,000 people voted in the independence referendum in Bougainville, a group of islands that sit on one of the worldâs largest copper mines, off ⦠A ceremony to announce the results of Bougainville's historic referendum opened with a chorus of the Bougainville anthem. The referendum is a key part of a 2001 peace agreement that ended a civil war in which at least 15,000 people died in the cluster of islands to the east of the PNG mainland. We recognize the Referendum has been a national event, and so also acknowledge and thank the people of Papua New Guinea.”, In a statement issued following the announcement of referendum results, PNG Prime Minister James Marape recognized, “The conduct of the vote was excellent. Bougainville: Will it become the world's next country? The referendum was approved by the Papua New Guinea government, but the result is non-binding. While the referendum is not outcome-determining, the results will contribute to bilateral negotiations between the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government as outlined in the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement. This was conducted by the BRC, the independent agency established by the two governments of Papua New ⦠And, if the poll goes as expected, Bougainville could become the ⦠The PNG Parliament will have the final say. People voted overwhelmingly for independence (97.71 per cent) in what was widely regarded to be a successful process, with an informed and engaged citizenry. Negotiations for the terms of an independence referendum may take place between the ⦠The resource-rich Pacific archipelago of Bougainville will hold a landmark referendum Saturday on independence from Papua New Guinea, a vote that could create the world's newest nation and prompt a dash for influence among regional powers. VideoThe refugees feeding a nation, playThe biggest selling single of all time. A vehicle flying a Bougainville flag drives by during a non-binding independence referendum in Arawa on the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville, on Nov. 26, 2019. Even in colonial times, Bougainville was an outpost. With 87.4 percent* turnout, voting in the Bougainville referendum – conducted from November 23 through December 7 – concluded with the announcement of results on December 11. An island group that's part of Papua New Guinea is about to vote on independence. The people of Bougainville have chosen overwhelmingly to become the world's newest nation in a historic referendum to break away from Papua New Guinea. One estimate cited by the Lowy Institute says Bougainville would only have 56% of the revenue needed to be self-reliant. Bougainvilleans celebrate at the opening ceremony of the Bel Isi Park regional polling place in Buka Town, Bougainville, on November 23, 2019. Bougainville Votes For Independence From Papua New Guinea In Referendum The Pacific island group called Bougainville voted for independence from Papua New Guinea. VideoThe biggest selling single of all time, .css-orcmk8-HeadlineContainer{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;}Nashville explosion: Camper van blows up in 'intentional act' on Christmas morning.css-1dedj2h-Rank{-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;color:#B80000;margin-left:3.125rem;}1, Russian historian jailed for dismembering partner2, 'Balloon boy hoax' parents pardoned in Colorado3, Australian expeditioner evacuated from Antarctica in five-day mission4, Queen's Christmas speech: 'You are not alone'5, Bridgerton: Everything you need to know about the Netflix drama6, Uganda Lake Albert boat accident leaves many dead8, Covid: Millions of Americans face unemployment benefits lapse9, Boko Haram kill villagers in Christmas Eve attack10. Last December the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, an area in Papua New Guinea (PNG), voted in a referendum for independence, a move motivated by a history of violence and conflict. One Bougainvillian, nursing graduate Alexia Baria, told news agency AFP that "happiness was an understatement". Of those: The results were announced in the town of Buka by former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, the chairman of the Bougainville Referendum Commission. Nevertheless, the landslide victory will put pressure on PNG to grant Bougainville independence. The curriculum, which was tailored to the Bougainville context, built participantsâ skills to take part in the upcoming referendum for independence currently scheduled for November 2019. In the referendum vote, almost 98% of voters backed independence, with just over 2% voting to remain part of Papua New Guinea with âgreater autonomyâ. Voters mark their ballots at a polling place in Haku, Bougainville. If we work together, the outcome will be good and official… and most importantly produce lasting peace.” Prime Minister Marape and President Momis plan to meet on December 13 in Arawa to sign a joint statement. Video, Nashville explosion: Camper van blows up in 'intentional act' on Christmas morning, Russian historian jailed for dismembering partner, 'Balloon boy hoax' parents pardoned in Colorado, Australian expeditioner evacuated from Antarctica in five-day mission, Queen's Christmas speech: 'You are not alone', Bridgerton: Everything you need to know about the Netflix drama, Uganda Lake Albert boat accident leaves many dead, Covid: Millions of Americans face unemployment benefits lapse, Boko Haram kill villagers in Christmas Eve attack. A majority of voters selected independence, at 97.7 percent of the vote, with less than 3 percent of voters choosing greater autonomy. The result was the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA), the creation in 2005 of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, and the promise of a non-binding referendum on independence. However, the outcome of the referendum is non-binding under the PNG Constitution. Will this place become the world's next country? The contrast with East Timor in the period prior to its own independence referendum is stark. The BPA declares that in the Constitution of the Papua New Guinea National Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARoB) is guaranteed a non-binding referendum on Bougainvilleâs political future to be held amongst Bougainvilleans. Courtesy the artist. The PNG Parliament will have the final say. The referendum is a key element of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA), which, following a ten-year armed conflict, provided for special autonomy and a vote on independence to be held within 10-15 years. 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