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FORMER TAOISEACH BERTIE Ahern has played a central role in Bougainville’s bid to become the world’s newest country by announcing that the autonomous region has voted overwhelmingly in favour of becoming independent from Papua New Guinea.
Acting in his role as Chairman of the Bougainville Referendum Commission, Ahern declared today that 176,928 people – around 98% of voters – had backed independence with just 3,043 supporting the option of remaining part of Papua New Guinea with more autonomy.
The commission was responsible for preparing the region for the independence vote and Ahern was appointed as chairman in October 2018.
Speaking at the time of the appointment, Bougainville President John Momis said it was delighted to have the former Taoiseach on board and Ahern had read everything possible on Bougainville before leaving Dublin.
Ahern’s announcement today was met with loud cheers, applause and tears as dignitaries soon burst into song, with strains of the islands’ anthem “My Bougainville” ringing out.
The historic vote caps a decades-long peace process and a long recovery from a brutal civil war between Bougainville rebels, Papua New Guinea security forces and foreign mercenaries that ended in 1998 and left up to 20,000 people dead – 10% of the population.
Speaking in the region’s capital Buka, Ahern urged all sides to recognise a vote that was about “your peace, your history, and your future” and showed “the power of the pen over weapons”.
Independence will not be immediate, a long political process lies ahead and leaders face formidable financial and administrative challenges to turn a cluster of poor Pacific islands into a fully fledged nation.
The result must first be ratified by Papua New Guinea’s parliament – where there is opposition to the move for fear it may spark other independence movements in a nation defined by disparate linguistic and tribal groups.
But the scale of the victory for the pro-independence side will heap pressure on Papua New Guinea to endorse the outcome.
Puka Temu, the country’s minister for Bougainville affairs, said “the outcome is a credible one” but asked that voters “allow the rest of Papua New Guinea sufficient time to absorb this result”.
With reporting by AFP
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They must be fairly desperate if they hired no bank account Bertie
@Random_paddy: Actually I was in touch with a relative from the area and they are absolutely thrilled, They are deeply indebted to him. No matter what you think of Bertie he is a brilliant negotiator.
@Marie Agnew: I thought you were starting of with “I know a friend of a painter in the area, and they said they would only put down their weapons if the old guy from Westlife could take their money in cash to the Isle of Man…”
@Marie Agnew: does your relative know anything about him? Beside the fact he was Taoiseach.
Give me 10 minutes with the locals and we would be chasing Ahern off the island.
@milton friedman: Pint of Bass bud
@Chewey Bacca: had to google it. Some kind of English piss.
@Marie Agnew: hopefully so delighted they might keep the treacherous treasonous crook
@Random_paddy: Like or loathe him he was instrumental, along with Tony Blair, in bringing peace to this island of ours. So therefore he is an appropriate person to have working to bring peace by democratic means to other places. Well done Bertie.
@milton friedman: They (The locals) don’t care about our politics they only care about the historical event that their ‘1922’ my relative on the other hand who is Irish decent, does know the fall out from Ireland, but he doesn’t care either!!
Looks likes a darts player in that shirt
@Adrian Lawlor: One hundred and eiiiiiiiiiiiiiightyyyyyyyyyyy.
@David Ryan: Thousand euro for yourself Paddy ya legendary plasterer :)
@Adrian Lawlor: more like a assho
Now do us a favor Bertie, STAY THERE
@Michael Byrne: what have you got against the people of Bougainville that you want to inflict them with Bertie?
Assuming they paid him in cash
The new offshore tax haven for Ireland.
Infacta.. nice one. Mario Rosenstock Will be delighted with this news, can’t wait for gift grub tomorrow morning.
@Conor Noonan: was thinking the same! Sort of tragic. Hope his health is ok though, he looks thin in an unhealthy way.
This man can’t do a nice deed without there being something in it for him. FACT.
Your article leaves out that they have large gold and copper reserves worth fifty something billion.
Put those things together.
@IGotTeeth: FACT? No, opinion.
@Chin Feeyin: Well, when one does consistently deceptive things it becomes difficult to separate the action from the person and they blend to one.
Also, you’ve missed the entire point of my post.
The Telflon Don certainly gets around
And they say crime doesn’t pay?!?!
Any chance they could keep him??
I was wondering why he was not in Fagans recently
This gives “let them eat cake” a completely new perspective. Berties’ concept of independent democracies being what it is. I hope they have plenty of money to give away…
Come back Bertie your own country is still under British occupation in the north east
Excellent
Question unrelated to this article, but related to using the Journal..
On another article, I’m unable to reply to a comment.. any idea if that’s just an issue on my side, or if I’ve been banned from the article for asking a genuine question?
@Mirabelle Stonegate: If it’s regarding the non-binary article, I think they closed comments on that one already. I’m unable to reply as well.
@Chris Judge: Ah, yeah, it was..
I was trying to respond to you, actually. I’ve literally never heard of Sam Smith, hence why I was thinking it was just randomer they were using in the article..
I rarely keep up with modern music.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: I thought it might have been to me :)
That’s fair enough, they’ve been fairly big the last few years.
@Chris Judge: The only two singers I know of, from the past few years are George Ezra and Ed Sheeran..Even then, I don’t think I could tell you the name of any Ed Sheeran song, nor could I be confident of pointing one out on the radio.
It’s been over a decade since I last listened to up to date music on a regular basis, lol.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: why are you boasting of this?
Must remember this for quiz question
Bougainville – Buka
Well done Bertie, now come back and sort out the Ireland mess please!
There was no better Taoiseach than Bertie. Say what you like about him he did a lot of good for Ireland unlike Varadkar who is only interested in himself and pleasing the EU. Peace process and huge economic prosperity.
Wonder if they have spacious vegetable cupboards???
A discredited corrupt politician with no bank account, (only criminals have no bank account.), Unbelievable neck. FFS
Wonder how much he made outa that gig?? Id say he’d never hear of Bougainville up to last week!
@rufustfirefly: he got paid 720000 euro
And of course he has the lingo,several in fact,Arabic,Hebrew French,etc.English being his one dodgy one!!
Double check.
Negotiation,thats his “raisin debt” as i heard him refer to the DUP recently ffs what an idiot
Legend
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