This archive report was first published on 7 December 2019.
On December 7, 2019, polling stations across Bougainville and beyond closed, marking the end of a historic independence vote. The referendum, a cornerstone of a 2001 peace deal, aimed to determine whether the region would choose greater autonomy or independence from Papua New Guinea.
Chief referendum officer Mauricio Claudio told AFP, "We won't have turnout figures until the end of the scrutiny process but during polling we witnessed long queues at polling places, we witnessed great enthusiasm. So we anticipate a high turnout."
The vote was a culmination of two weeks of polling, with Bougainvilleans asked to choose between greater autonomy or independence. While there were no reliable exit polls, it was widely expected that voters would return a result in favor of independence.
With the last postal votes collected on Saturday evening, the process of verification began, paving the way for counting and the eventual announcement of results in the coming week.
If voters chose independence, the decision would require ratification by the Papua New Guinea parliament, led by Prime Minister James Marape. However, there was anxiety among some in Port Moresby that Bougainville could set a precedent and spur other independence movements.
On the other hand, rejection risks rekindling old feuds and jeopardizing the peace process. To ensure a smooth process, New Zealand led an international unarmed police contingent, backed by fellow witnesses to the 2001 peace agreement: Australia, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
