Bougainville's referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea has been put back six weeks, the province's Minister for Peace Agreement Implementation says.
Bougainville's Minister for Peace Agreement Implementation, Albert Punghau Photo: supplied
But Albert Punghau said the precise date will not be set until the Joint Supervisory Board overseeing the referendum meets in Buin next month.
The referendum had earlier been moved from June to October and is now due to be held in late November.
All parties involved in the referendum are committed to the change, including former combatants and members of the Me'ekamui factions, which held reconciliations this week in Arawa and Panguna, Mr Punghau said.
"The Bougainville Referendum Commission felt that a lot of Bougainvilleans have not already enrolled in the common roll," he said.
"A lot of work needs to be done in preparation to making a credible roll so that when the people go to the polls they will find their names."
Reconciliations
Meanwhile, reconciliation discussions have ended with a commitment to having all remaining guns in the region surrendered by 15 August.
One of the conditions of the looming referendum is that the region is weapons free.
The reconciliation, involving former combatants of the Bougainville conflict, led to consensus on several issues and a commitment to work together for the poll under a single banner - The Bougainville Veterans.
Mr Punghau described the deal as a major step forward.
