LOOK BACK: Bougainville: Kabui sets timeframe for Bougainville constitution

The time line that the BCC is looking at in having elections for the autonomous government is during the period of November/December this year. No major hiccups are expected

CHAIRMAN of the Bougainville Constitutional Commission Joseph Kabui is confident there will be no major hiccup in getting the third draft of the Bougainville Constitution approved.

Mr Kabui told reporters in Buka on the weekend that the time line that the BCC is looking at in having the election for the autonomous government is during the period of November/December this year.

Originally, the commission had planned for the electoral preparation to be within six months, however that has now been reduced to probably 3-4 months which included consultation with the Electoral Commission in Port Moresby, Mr Kabui said.

The next important dates according to the BCC calendar will be a consultation meeting with the Bi-Partisan committee from May 4-6.

“After the consultation, we will look at our response and I believe we should have no problem in reaching an agreement.

“We’ve had an excellent working relationship with the National Government. In fact, right throughout the implementation of the peace process, National Government and Bougainville, we’ve been locked up in one common vision and that is: The peace process has locked Bougainville and the National Government together.”

If an agreement is reached during the consultation on all outstanding issues, then those responsible will tidy up everything and take the draft in for printing.

Also to be taken in for printing will be the compilation of all the submissions that BCC received from all parties.

Both reports will then be presented to constituent assembly when they meet around June/July.
“After the Bougainville Constituent Assembly looks at the constitution, if there are any amendments that are going to be made in there, then there will be some work to be done, but if the constitution is approved then we will submit it straight to NEC.

“NEC will need at least a maximum of 14 days to give us their feedback and I believe once it goes to NEC, I could see that there will be no major hiccups because throughout the whole process of constitutional making and consultation, we definitely come up with a closer working rappel.”
Mr Kabui said then it would probably be another three weeks to have the preparatory work by the officers in sorting out the various programmes.

“The establishment of the autonomous government is being targeted for Christmas so it makes the people of Bougainville, students in various institutions, Bougainvilleans who are leaving abroad, come home, and see their government get off the ground.”

Source: The National (C. Banian)

Retrieved from:  Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). Link: http://www.unpo.org/article/557