Crucial separation meeting

The Bougainville and Papua NewGuinea governments hold a critical last meeting this weekend before the PNG election process. It will be the final, and most crucial of the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meetings, because it will seal the Era Kone Covenant which both governments separately endorsed last month. The covenant is seen as marking the beginning of the independence ratification process. Bougainville is pushing for full independence from PNG after overwhelming support in a referendum 21⁄ years ago. The national broadcaster reports the next step is the creation of a constitutional regulation, which would allow the referendum result to be presented to the national parliament for ratification. Bougainville’s leader Ishmael Toroama has said he expected independence to be granted by 2027 at the latest.