Bougainville and Papua New Guinea decide on date for referendum result to be tabled

On 27 August, the outcome of the Bougainville independence referendum will be presented to Papua New Guinea's national parliament, according to recent decisions by both governments. A meeting in Port Moresby between PNG Prime Minister James Marape and Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama resulted in the agreement that the referendum results would be tabled for parliamentary discussion in three weeks.

The 2019 referendum saw 97.7% of respondents vote in favor of independence; however, the referendum is non-binding and will depend on the parliament's decision to ratify or not.

Following the referendum, a record of consultations and the Melanesian Framework, which details the next steps regardless of the parliament's vote on ratification, will also be presented. Marape and Toroama will jointly decide the date for Parliament's vote on whether to ratify the referendum result. In June, the PNG government announced that the threshold for ratification would be three-quarters of MPs, a change from the typical two-thirds threshold for constitutional amendments in PNG.

The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) announced in a recent development that Bougainville intends to declare independence in 2030, with preparations for self-government planned from 1 September 2027 onwards. These efforts would focus on strengthening institutions, governance systems, peace and security, and economic readiness.

Earlier, the PANGU Party, which leads PNG's ruling government, expressed its support for a 15-year transition process for Bougainville, irrespective of the parliament's decision on independence. Marape stated that this process would be contingent on Bougainville demonstrating financial self-sufficiency, maintaining peace and stability, and eradicating armed violence and factionalism.