Transcript
MARTIN MIRIORI: I really don't know what he means. I mean what is his view on what is best for the people of Bougainville if it's not independence. Because in the Bougainville Peace Agreement, amongst the options independence is one of them. So I am rather confused when he comes out with this, without making it clear what is the best alternative.
DON WISEMAN: After the referendum is held in June of next year, it will go to the national parliament and they will then vote on it, which has been pointed out a number of times I think, particularly by people like Peter O'Neill, but your feeling is that the national parliament has to reflect the intentions of the voters on Bougainville. And they can't do anything beside that.
MM: That ratification has to clearly reflect the democratic process and the will of the people. And if the people overwhelmingly support independence, what other options is Papua New Guinea going to come up with? We are quite prepared to accept either "Yes or No" but my observation at the moment is it is going to be quite difficult to get a 'No" vote. It's going to be overwhelmingly a "Yes" vote. PNG will have no choice but to go along with the outcome of the referendum, unless they have got some other alternative they are going to put forward. Usually ratification is just simply endorsing a decision that is already clear.
DW: The question is yet to be written of course and it would seem it is unlikely to be a "Yes or No." It is going to be more elaborate than that isn't it? What do you think the referendum question should say, should ask?
MM: The committee that is working on the questionnaire - from what I have heard so far, I think they are going to come up with something like three or four options, and of course independence is one of them. maybe higher autonomy, that is another option, and the other two I am not too sure. But the committee has not completed that task yet. They are still working on it, so at the moment we can only guess, but of course independence is at the top of the list.
DW: With these comments that are coming from Mr O'Neill is that confusing the issue for Bougainvilleans?
MM: Yes it is confusing. I mean one time he says yes he will go along and then the PNG government would endorse whatever the outcome was. And now with this kind of statement we are confused as to what he is talking about. It is somewhat a bit contradictory, the way he comes out. maybe he was speaking to an audience outside, Maybe he will say something difference when he is here on the ground, because next month he is expected to be here in Arawa, for the Joint Supervisory Board meeting, which is still to be finalised.
DW: Now that it is coming up to a year before the vote is held, what is you sense of the preparation and the anticipation on the islands?
MM: The preparation that is going on at the moment is that the committee - the Reconciliation Commission - it is preparing a referendum common roll for this purpose. They are still
working on it. They were supposed to have finished by last month, but I think the work has not been completed. And the other thing that they are working on, still working on, are the questionnaires, the options - independence, greater autonomy, and two others maybe. But I would like to appeal to the commission that is working on this referendum, not to confuse the people by trying to complicate things. I think we should really keep it simple, like Brexit. Just Yes or No vote - that's my view. The great majority of our people, they are not well educated. A big population lives in the rural areas, so they will not understand if they are given complicated choices.
