THE Mataungan Association of East New Britain Province has declared its support for Bougainville’s push for independence, stating that the region has been let down by successive governments.
Association Chairman Henry Kubak said Bougainvilleans felt they could not be safe or prosperous under the current national structure.
He made the comments during the Papua New Guinea Parliamentary Bipartisan Committee’s consultations on Bougainville, held in Kokopo.
Kubak said national development had declined and attributed this to the 1995 abolition of the Organic Law on Provincial Governments, which stripped provincial authorities of their powers and centralised decision-making in Port Moresby.
“PNG had a bright future in the early years of independence. Everything was functioning well. But when the Organic Law was removed, the effectiveness of provincial governments collapsed,” Kubak said.
Kubak said Bougainville has already spoken clearly through its 97.7% referendum vote for independence, a democratic process endorsed by the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA).
“We, the Tolai people, support Bougainville’s independence because their grievances show that government has failed to deliver. When the Organic Law was changed in 1995, the impact was felt everywhere – not only in Bougainville, but also in East New Britain and across the country,” he said.
He said Bougainville’s quest for independence reflected long-standing frustrations over lack of development, poor service delivery, and the centralisation of power.
The PNG Bipartisan Committee Consultation Team, with Dr Allan Marat, Parliamentary MP for Rabaul Open as the Chairman, Sir Puka Temu MP for Abau, West New Britain Province Governor Sasindran Muthuvel and North Bougainville Electorate MP Francisca Semoso visited the four regions of the country.