Transcript
"We said we will honour the 2001 Peace Agreement. We have now honoured in as far as the referendum is concerned. And I hear clearly the voice of you through President Momis [Autonomous Bougainville Government's President]. We will continue through much work, concluding what is intended for in the 2001 Peace Agreement.".
Prime Minister James Marape asked Bougainvilleans to consider what he called a "win-win situation" where their "desire for self rule is not harmed and PNG's desire for national unity is embraced".
But Mr Marape's suggestion that achieving economic independence should be the priority in Bougainville has prompted a warning from the former Bougainville Interim Government leader Martin Miriori.
"Especially with a 98 percent support for independence, we will not compromise. We cannot negotiate outside of the result. We cannot talk about economic independence [as raised by Marape] because that was not what our people voted for."
Mr Miriori says the the world would be watching closely for what PNG does next following the referendum result.
"So if they cannot respect that, I think we can take up the case at the United Nations. And of course PNG can jeopardise their reputation, they can tarnish their reputation for not respecting the democratically expressed will of the people."
The governor of Papua New Guinea's Oro province, Gary Juffa, was one of several MPs who accompanied the prime minister to Bougainville following its referendum.
"I think the message here that he brought to the people of Bougainville was that we are on standby to ensure there is a positive outcome for Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. It's a very sensitive subject, a very sensitive discussion. We have an optimistic outlook on the future."
Mr Juffa plays down suggestion that the prime minster is seeking a compromise on the referendum result, saying Mr Marape is adhering to the process under the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
He says Mr Marape has been more focused in a hands-on way, and more intimately aware of the Bougainville people's concerns and aspirations, then previous prime ministers.
"From the outset the prime minister has indicated that Bougainville will receive attention like never before. The PNG government under his leadership will definitely engage and work through this and ensure that what Bougainville is entitled to Bougainville gets, and so forth, as we manage the whole process with the Peace Agreement."
With consultations between PNG and Bougainville to begin in the new year regarding how to proces after the vote, Mr Juffa says there are many matters to consider for Bougainville's future.
"The fact that Bougainville has a significant population that are uneducated because of the crisis. They have a great deal to educate a number of their citizens, they have a great deal to bring normalcy back to their island. That has been achieved to some degree, but there are still areas that are no-go zones, there are still factions. There's still infrastructure that needs to be built. And there's a lot of work yet to be done."
From a PNG national perspective, another matter to be worked on is ensuring that a precedent isn't set for other parts of PNG to look to break away.
The regional member for Bougainville in PNG's parliament, Joe Lera, says this is of serious concern.
"That's what the prime minister has already said this sitting, in the caucus, that no provinces will follow Bougainville. He's talking about legislations now, some legislations to manage those issues. he's seeing Bougainville as a special case. No other province must follow. And he's talking about legislation now, they're working on it now."
However, both Governor Juffa and Martin Miriori are in agreement that Bougainville is a unique case within the PNG context, with the former North Solomons province having sought independence even before the PNG state was created, and then fought a bloody civil war with independence in mind.
Only time will tell when Bougainville should get there, with James Marape urging patience while PNG works through the referendum result in good faith.
"I beg you, you've waited a long time. What is waiting a few more moments? We have to process this together... we have to find our sweet spot, a spot in time that is sweet for both Bougainville and PNG (applause)."
PNG Prime Minister James Marape, ending that report by Johnny Blades.
