Updated: Bougainville overwhelmingly votes for independence from Papua New Guinea
Last update: 10:40am, 12th December, 2019Sydney, AustraliaReuters The South Pacific islands of Bougainville have overwhelmingly voted to be independent from Papua New Guinea, the referendum commission said on Wednesday, in a historic poll that will embolden separatists as they start negotiating the terms of their sovereignty. Almost 98 per cent of the 181,067 votes cast […]
Bougainville independence hopes rise as vote counting set to begin
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Bougainville began counting votes on Tuesday in its independence referendum, officials said, amid expectations for the South Pacific region once ravaged by fierce fighting to overwhelmingly back independence from Papua New Guinea. Results are expected to be released on Thursday after the non-binding vote, held from 23rd November to 7th December, under a […]
“Never turning back”, Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville separatists expect vote for independence
Buka, Papua New GuineaReuters Twenty years after combatants snapped arrows to signal the end of hostilities in the Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville, voters will on Saturday cast ballots in a long-awaited independence referendum. Prominent separatists say the independence movement cannot be stopped. “Bougainville is never turning back because we paid a very high […]