The former Taoiseach is the Chairman of the Bougainville Referendum Commission.
Bertie Ahern is set to play a pivotal role in the birth of a new country, thanks to his role as Chairman of the Bougainville Referendum Commission.
Voters backing Bougainville’s independence from Papua New Guinea have won a landslide referendum victory in giant step towards becoming a brand new nation.
Although the referendum is not binding, there was an overwhelming majority of votes from those who are in favour of the country gaining its independence.
There was 176,928 votes for independence, while there was only 3,043 for a “Greater Autonomy”.
Ahern is the Chairman of the Bougainville Referendum Commission, and has 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”.
He said: “Follow the process, follow the laws provided, and we will get there together.”
A statement released by the Commission said: “However, as the mandated independent body appointed to conduct the Bougainville Referendum, it is our conclusion from what we witnessed ourselves throughout the process – through enrolment, polling and scrutiny – was an orderly process, following the laws and regulations provided, and was peaceful.
“We witnessed voting that was informed, free of fear and accessible.”
More information on the Commission can be found here.
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