Papua New Guinea Parliament Tables Bougainville Independence Referendum Result

Papua New Guinea's Parliament received the 2019 Bougainville independence referendum result after Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba tabled the writ, Joint Consultation Report and Melanesian Framework. The referendum recorded 97.7 percent support for independence, and the joint report documents consultations between the national and Bougainville governments. Parliament did not debate the documents during the sitting. Makiba said Parliament retains discretion over the referendum result, while the Melanesian Framework outlines a pathway if lawmakers accept it and allows another path under the Bougainville Peace Agreement if they do not.