In Papua New Guinea, disagreement over parliament voting majority on Bougainville referendum

Papua New Guinea's Minister of Bougainville Affairs, Manasseh Makiba, believes an absolute majority is needed for the vote on the Bougainville referendum because it involves changing the constitution. Makiba told parliament last month that two thirds of MPs would need to support the independence push, drawing the ire of Bougainville's Minister of Independence Mission Implementation, Ezekiel Massatt. Massatt said officials from both governments had already agreed that a simple majority would suffice. Last month Massatt told RNZ Pacific that what transpired in the last session of parliament gives the Bougainville leadership no confidence that they can achieve independence under a government led by Prime Minister James Marape. But Makiba said the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the Constitution allows for Parliament to make a decision on the 2019 Bougainville referendum which resulted in a 97.7 percent vote in favour of independence. The National newspaper reports Makiba saying that, as an issue of sovereignty, the vote on Bougainville's future has to be done with the same majority as that required for constitutional amendments. He said officials had overstepped their authority in making a commitment to a simple majority. Makiba said it remains the prerogative of the parliament to make its decision as to the appropriate voting majority.
Read the full article here: RNZ