At Stake in this Election:       

• Bougainville’s independence of greater autonomy from Papua New Guinea[1].

Government Structure of Bougainville:

• Head of Government: President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Chief Dr John MOMIS
• Assembly: House of Representatives

Electoral requirements:

• The outcome of the referendum on the future political status of Bougainville, will be discussed by both governments (the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government), and will be presented to the National Parliament for final decision making in accordance with the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the National Constitution.

About the referendum[2]:

• Referendum is one of the pillars of the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA).
• The BPA declares that in the Constitution of the Papua New Guinea National Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARoB) is guaranteed a referendum on Bougainville’s political future to be held amongst Bougainvilleans 10-15 years after the establishment of the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
• ABG was established in 2005 and therefore, according to the Constitution, a referendum can be held between the years 2015 and 2020.

Main provisions in the referendum:

Do you agree for Bougainville to have[3]:

• Greater Autonomy: A negotiated political settlement that provides for a form of autonomy with greater powers than those currently available under constitutional arrangements.

• Independence: An independent nation state with sovereign powers and laws, recognized under international law and by other international states to be an independent state, separate to the state of PNG.

Population and Registered Voters:

• Papua New Guinea Population: 8,776,000[4]
• Bougainville Population: 249,358 (2011 est.)[5]
• Registered Voters in Bougainville: 206,731 (2019)[6]

Gender Data in Papua New Guinea:

• Female Population: 4,296,000[7]
• Is Papua New Guinea a signatory to CEDAW: No
• Has Papua New Guinea ratified CEDAW: Yes (12 January 1995)[8]
• Gender Quota: No
• Number of Female Legislators: 0[9]
• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 153[10]
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data in Papua New Guinea:

• Is Papua New Guinea a signatory to CRPD: Yes (2 June 2011)[11]
• Has Papua New Guinea ratified CRPD: Yes (26 September 2013)[12]
• Population with a disability: 1,000,864[13]