Motive behind PNG PMs Bougainville portfolio questioned

Transcript

The leader of the opposition in Papua New Guinea says that the prime minister's move to assign himself to the Bougainville Affairs portfolio is questionable.

Peter O'Neill has taken on the Bougainville Affairs Ministry in his latest cabinet reshuffle.

Mr O'Neill says this is because the autonomous PNG region is a top priority for the government as it is set to hold a referendum on possible independence by 2020.

But the opposition leader Don Polye told Bridget Tunnicliffe that's not the real motive.

DON POLYE: The reshuffling that the prime minister's done recently is only positioning himself and a few of his cronies for his own and those of his cronies business interests. The Bougainville issues are very sensitive and delicate and he has not delivered the promised and agreed services under the Peace Agreement to the autonomous region of Bougainville. In taking on the responsibilities of Bougainville he's focussed on the Bougainville mine, the Bougainville mine is the one that he's targetting to develop or get business investments that he is happy with to go in and put investment on the island in that mine so what he's doing is very questionable.

BRIDGET TUNNICLIFFE: What about the referendum that has to be held by 2020, do you think Mr O'Neill wants the referendum to go ahead?

DP: I think the referendum is not for Mr O'Neill to decide whether it should go ahead or not I think it's already decided and what Mr O'Neill needs to do is guiding the referendum to go ahead. From the opposition's point of view fragmentation would not be good for them, independence probably also will not be favourable for them. I believe it is best that they remain part of Papua New Guinea but then on the other side the Papua New Guinea government, prime minister Peter O'Neill and his team must, and they've got a duty to deliver the services before the referendum to ensuring the people to remain with Papua New Guinea. But the prime minister I believe has been careless on some of these responsibilities that the government has and that may of course out of frustration people might decide otherwise so some of the people might decide against remaining part of Papua New Guinea.

BT: Do you know what response there has been in Bougainville about the prime minister taking on the Bougainville Affairs Ministry, have you had a chance to speak to anyone there?

DP: From reliable sources I'm informed that he did not consult any Bougainville members of parliament nor any other coalition partners. He made his decision solely on his own assessment of the situation but I think it's been done without proper consultation with people on the ground.