Transcript
DAVID BRAUN VATAVI: How do we cope with being a member, my roles and responsibilities as a member, and how do I have time for my constituency, choosing between this time and being active in parliament and in my office, and also having time for our people. The most important thing here is we were mandated by the people and to be with the people. As in my case, I live in the village with my people. So I have a lot of time and involvement with events at locations in my constituency, taking place in meetings; taking part in reconciliations; taking part in referendum awareness; and also when there is time, for me available, when I'm requested by parliament if there is time for me as a committee member for social and economic development. So I also have to attend meetings within my select committee. And being here (at the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Workshop in New Zealand) is very helpful because I'm learning a lot from my Pacific neighbours: What challenges, they're facing, what good things they're enjoying. Those things that I'm learning, I will take it back to my constituency, I will take it back to my government, and I will utilise that strength that I've gained here to make use in my role and responsibility as a mandated leader.
JOHNNY BLADES: It's such an interesting time for you, for Bougainville, with this referendum coming up. There's a lot of importance for people like you, because you could be a national MP soon?
DBV: Oh yes, in June 2016, the parliament passed a resolution for all individual constituency members, giving them the directive to go back to their constituencies so that they can carry out massive awareness about the referendum. The people of Bougainville, they've got to understand these four very important documents. One, the constitution of Papua New Guinea, the constitution of Bougainville, the Peace Agreement, and the Organic Law on Peace Building. These are the four very important documents that made up the Bougainville Peace Agreement. All the members are going within their constituencies, carrying out awareness, forming a referendum awareness committee, and also using our Local Level Government members to go out and carry out massive awareness. By the end of 31st December, 2018, all the constituencies must declare their constituency weapons-free and referendum ready. So these are the very important things that we are working on. Bougainville Peace Agreement stands on three very important pillars: referendum, autonomy, and weapons disposal. And upon that we have three benchmarks: weapons disposal, fiscal self-reliance, and good governance. Those are the three key benchmarks that we must work upon.
JB: In Bougainville, as a regional MP, are you a service provider like many of the MPs are in PNG - do you have to be the one who provides services - or are you a lawmaker, how do you see it?
DBV: In the Melanesian context, I would say it's a bit different. I'm a lawmaker, and also I have to provide services to the people because if I don't provide anything, when the next election comes I'm out. That's it, yeah. So I've got to do that, in a more transparent manner where everything has got to be acquitted. If I'm giving out any money, it's got to be acquitted.
