MASAT; "INDEPENDENCE RATIFICATION "DEAD," SIGNALS SHIFT TO UNCONVENTIONAL PATHWAYS"

*BUKA* — Vice President Ezekiel Masat has delivered a scathing assessment of the current independence negotiations with the National Government, declaring the formal ratification process "dead in the water" and urging Bougainville to prepare for "unconventional options" to achieve its sovereignty. Speaking during a ministerial statement, Masat expressed deep frustration with what he described as a deliberate strategy by the National Government to frustrate Bougainville's path to independence. He specifically targeted the imposition of a three-quarters voting threshold in the National Parliament, calling it a "deliberate strategy" designed to ensure ratification fails. "This Melanesian Alliance negotiations is dead in the water. This ratification is dead," Masat stated, questioning the logic of continuing dialogue under current conditions. "What sort of stupidity is this? To revive this Melanesian agreement dialogue me propose him". The "Hijacking" of the Ratification Process The Vice President accused the National Government of "hijacking" the legal process required to bring the referendum results before Parliament. He argued that under Section 342 of the Constitution, only the Minister for Bougainville Affairs has the authority to present the referendum results and the consultation report to trigger ratification. Instead, Masat claimed the process was bypassed last week in an "unlawful" manner. "Minister Makiba as the responsible minister [should] bring him all these blood documents he go inside in order to trigger off that ratification process," Masat said, noting that even a bipartisan committee report on the matter was never discussed. He further criticized the National Parliament’s Speaker for calling his own integrity into question by allegedly colluding with the national speaker on agreements that Masat maintains do not exist. A Call for Independence Readiness With the "preferred option" of the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) process appearing to stall, Masat announced that he has instructed departments to begin working on "different models" for sovereignty. He warned that the next steps taken by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) would have significant consequences. "The next decision that we make has consequences," Masat warned. "The question is, are we ready to accept those consequences? Because this preferred option work blocking me believe also this week". Masat issued a direct directive to the administration and local constituencies to immediately resume "independence readiness" activities. He emphasized that independence requires accepting the responsibilities that come with it, rather than just talking about it in "comfort". "Government administration instruction independence readiness activity constituency must own back immediately," he said. "You know time play you talk independence nothing without accepting the responsibilities that come with it". Economic and Legal Defiance The Vice President's strategy includes aggressive economic moves to secure Bougainville's financial future outside of the current framework. He proposed that the ABG should begin "opening up discussions" to take percentages of national entities such as PNG Ports and Air Niugini. "I can't see any way around this at the moment we are going towards an option... that is away from the preferred option," Masat explained, urging economic ministries to take these positions "aggressively". On the legal front, Masat voiced concerns that the National Government might attempt to use "sunset clauses" to let Part 14 of the Constitution expire, which could potentially revert Bougainville back to a provincial government system. "Watch out for this. There's some attempts to make sure reverts back to the province of government system," he cautioned. The Human Cost of the Struggle Refuting claims of heroism from national leaders, Masat reminded the house of the 20,000 lives lost during the Bougainville Crisis. He stated that the struggle for independence is not just a political maneuver but an answer to a "long-held cry" and a means of ending the scars of war. "This is not only about independence. It's about ending a war and answering the long-held cry of the people of [Bougainville]," Masat said. Closing his statement, the Vice President signaled that Bougainville's patience with the National Government has reached its limit. "We have remained true to this peace process," Masat concluded. "But there must come a time when we must also say enough is enough".