Bougainville

The leaders of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have signed a deal that may bring the autonomous region's quest for independence closer.

PNG had long promised to give its portion of the shares to the people of Bougainville.

This transfer, valued at approximately NZ$56 million at current market rates, is expected to be formally announced by Prime Minister James Marape on Thursday.

The meeting on Thursday is also likely to mark the end of the involvement of former New Zealand governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae.

Bougainville's autonomous government wants a commitment from PNG that it will table the results of an independence referendum in parliament.

Bougainville's Attorney-General says the autonomous region and the PNG government might sign an agreement on the way ahead in their push for independence next week.

The talks concluded with the endorsement of a proposed 'Melanesian relationship agreement' that will be taken to the leaders of PNG and ABG during the last week of June.

Reports in Papua New Guinea say the governments of Bougainville and PNG have agreed to table the 2019 independence referendum results in parliament.

In 2019, 97.7 percent of Bougainvilleans voted for independence.

The moderator in the talks is former New Zealand governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae.

The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner has begun the formal process of voter registration and enrolment in the North Bougainville region for the September polls.

A former rebel who fought in the bloody Bougainville Civil War in the 1990s is now running a tour business and sees tourism as a bright light to rejuvenate the economy.

Bougainville wood carver Joe Dutuona spent April in New Zealand, learning a little about the country and introducing local artists to Bougainvillean culture. Audio

Desmond Tsianai says work has begun on updating the electoral rolls ahead of the September poll.

There is certainly a will amongst local Bougainvillean people to have New Zealand police here for as long as possible, says police team leader Owen Maurirere.

While Papua New Guinea and Bougainville continue the mediation process over the region's desire for independence, Bougainville's leaders are separately laying down markers of what they are expecting. Audio

The Autonomous Bougainville Government president says the people of Bougainville will not accept any unlawful veto by the PNG parliament of their democratic decision for self-determination.

The Bougainville president says such "reckless misuse of artificial intelligence" could have a negative impact on Bougainville's efforts toward independence.