ABG urges for proactive international support amidst rising impasse on ratification
The Autonomous Bougainville Government has issued a call out to its international partners to honor their commitments as witnesses to the intent of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement.
ABG Attorney General and Minister for Bougainville Independence Mission Implementation, Hon. Ezekiel Masatt, clarified in parliament this week, that this call comes in the midst of a rising impasse with the National Government over the ratification process of the referendum result on Independence.
The impasse centers on critical issues such as the voting majority percentage, the number of sittings required for ratification and the method of voting.
“The ABG requests all international partners to the Bougainville Peace Agreement, namely Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Australia and the United Nations, to be faithful to their commitments as witnesses to the intent of the Bougainville Peace Agreement,” Masatt said.
Minister Masatt singled out Australia and the United Nations, calling on both partners to play a more proactive role in Bougainville.
“We also call for the political office of the Australian High Commission, their Department of Foreign Affairs, to be more proactive, given the fact that they brokered the political compromise on the Independence and Ratification issue.”
“We further call for the UN Political Office to have a more direct approach and that the UN Political Office facilitate Bougainville’s voice at the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council,” Masatt stated.
The ABG’s appeal to its international partners signifies the importance of international recognition and support as critical in ensuring Bougainville’s political aspiration for independence is realized in peaceful and lawful manner as intended in the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement.
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