Arawa is the capital, so get used to it says VP

By Aloysius Laukai

Arawa is the legally declared capital of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville according to ABG Vice President, Hon Ezekiel Masat. Mr Masat says Arawa remains the capital, no matter how people see it.

Mr Masat was speaking in Parliament when announcing the names of members who would be part of a six-person Parliamentary Special Committee to gauge the views of the Bougainville people on where the capital would finally be established.

He warned the members that some hard decisions have to be made to start the ball rolling towards a referendum for Bougainville. He said that for the ABG to get extra support from donors it must make a firm decision on the capital.

The Autonomous Bougainville House of Representatives took more than an hour to debate the location. Education Minister, Michael Otoroa, said it was getting difficult to find land for the expansion of Buka Town, which had no room for expansion and other practical problems.

Mr Masat also said the Constitution guarantees the establishment of regional governments and he called on the Buka Council of Elders to spell out their stand on a regional government for north Bougainville.