News and Public Notices

Vice President and Attorney General Hon. Ezekiel Masatt has reaffirmed that Bougainville’s political independence must take precedence over economic readiness. 

Vice President Masatt made this statement to the Bougainville House of Representatives last week, saying that international law recognizes independence based on a population, defined borders, and a law-making authority — but does not require economic strength as a condition for sovereignty. 

“Political power must come first if we are to make strategic economic decisions,” Masatt said.

“Take for example, the fishing sector — 30% of the annual one billion Kina industry’s catches occur in Bougainville waters, yet the region receives only a K5 million annually from the National Fisheries Authority.” 

He stressed that Bougainville must exercise its own sovereign powers to redirect economic benefits toward its people and build long-term self-reliance.

“We must exercise symbolic sovereign powers in order to make many of these economic strategic decisions,” the Vice President said.

Masatt also rejected the argument that the presence of weapons remains an obstacle to independence, noting that the Bougainville Peace Agreement’s constitutional provisions under Part 14 were achieved following a verified and phased weapons disposal program.

He added that since the restoration and establishment of the ABG in 2005, Bougainville elections have been conducted peacefully and without gun-related disruptions, unlike incidents often observed during election periods in other parts of Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, the Vice President confirmed that President Ishmael Toroama has already discussed the scheduling of the next Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting with the Prime Minister, with the session expected to take place around the November sitting of parliament.

Masatt called on members of the House to remain engaged in the process, stressing the importance of accurate information-sharing with their constituencies.  

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