BCPC Vanimo consultation

A two-day consultation for Bougainvilleans in West Sepik Province to contribute to the proposed Bougainville Constitution is underway in Vanimo Town.

The consultation started today [Friday]and will end tomorrow [Saturday].

This is the second and final public consultation of the Bougainville Constitutional Planning Commission, before it compiles all views, thoughts, opinions and instructions from the people to put together the second and final draft of the Bougainville Independence Constitution that would go before the Legislature to deliberate on.

This second round of consultation has been held elsewhere as well across Bougainville and in most of the main centres in the country.

This is the first time the BCPC is visiting the Sandaun Province to collect the people's views.

Opening the consultation at the Golden Medallion Hotel and speaking on behalf of the ABG Attorney General and Justice and Independence Mission Implementation Minister, Ezekiel Masatt, the Member for Motuna-Huyono-Tokunutui Constituency, Zacharias Nungnung, encouraged the people to contribute effectively and wholeheartedly.

Member Nungnug says because Bougainvilleans have voted overwhelmingly for separate independence from Papua New Guinea, the people now have this added responsibility to also write a constitution that would govern them.

BCPC Commissioner and Team Leader of the Mamose region consultations, Isabel Peta, says despite the Bougainville population in West Sepik not contributing to creating the initial draft of the Constitution, they now have the opportunity to review it and to add or subtract from it.

The BCPC will conclude the consultations tomorrow and return to Bougainville to sit with the entire membership of the commission to come up with instructions to give to Constitutional Drafter, Australian Dr. Katy Le Roy, who will conclude the second and final draft of the proposed Bougainville Independence Constitution.