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The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG; Tok Pisin : Otonomos Bogenvil Gavman [1] ) is the government of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. [2]
The Constitution of Bougainville specifies that the Autonomous Bougainville Government shall consist of three branches: [3]
The government was established in 2000 following a peace agreement between the government of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), a guerrilla movement. [2] Elections for the first autonomous government were held in May and June 2005; Joseph Kabui was elected president, with Joseph Watawi selected by the House of Representatives as vice-president. [4]
A non-binding referendum for independence from Papua New Guinea was held in December 2019. [5] This was in accordance with the terms of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, which requires such a referendum to be held by 2020. [6] There were concerns that the referendum could result in violence due to unresolved tensions from the Bougainville conflict. [7] In this referendum, 98% of voters voted in favour of independence. [8]
Constitutional amendments proposed in February 2020, would see the Autonomous Bougainville Government renamed as the "Bougainville Constitutional Transitional Government". [9] It is aimed that the government will be governing an independent Republic of Bougainville, separate from the Monarchy of Papua New Guinea, in 2027 following an agreement with the PNG governement. [10] [2] [11] In 2025, the Autonmous Bougainville Government converted the legislature into a constituent assembly in preparation for independence. [12]