By GORETHY KENNETHBOUGAINVILLE witnessed another milestone...

By GORETHY KENNETH

BOUGAINVILLE witnessed another milestone achievement last Friday?? ? the reconciliation to end issues, differences and misunderstandings among landowners of the now defunct Panguna mine and the region?s president John Momis.
President Momis and the Panguna landowners? association executives created a breakthrough in the history of the region and reconciled for the first time since the crisis.
The reconciliation ceremony between President Momis and the representatives of the six mine lease areas led by interim chairman Chris Damana and Lawrence Daveona paves the way for Bougainville?s prosperity and easy access to negotiations of re-opening the Panguna Mine.
The ceremony was two-phased; a meeting at the Parliament?s Executive Council room at Kubu with Momis and his Cabinet and later the reconciliation ceremony at the Bougainville Administration conference room in Buka. Head of the six mine lease areas took their seats. Chris Damana as the interim PLA chairman, Theresa Jaintong as the interim chairperson of the Siokate lease which covers Arawa urban, Benedine Kira as spokesperson for the Lower Tailings, Scholastica Meuka led the Port Access Road Mine, Severinus including those of the Upper Tailings and the Special Mining Lease and Tarciscius Karuai of the Port Access Road Mine. Momis was happy to hold the hands with leaders again and shake hands. All present shed tears during the ceremony.
ABG vice president Patrick Nisira, at the forefront of this ceremony said he started working on the reconciliation plans since December 2010 and last Friday, he was proud to see the fruit of his work. Before the ceremony Nisira announced it would only be refreshments served and that there was no pig feast to celebrate.
?The size of the pig doesn?t matter, the size of the occasion does,? he said. This ceremony now paves way for us to further our negotiations on the re-opening of the Panguna mine.?
Momis congratulated the leaders for coming together to negotiate the mine re-opening and other issues. He spoke of the wealth of experience Bougainville enjoys and has appealed for unity to move Bougainville forward.
Chris Damana who spoke on behalf of the landowners said he was a happy man as it singled out the way forward for the ABG and the people of Bougainville. He said the ceremony will now pave way for economic recovery on Bougainville. He appealed to the media to report the truth and be sensitive to the Panguna issues. He also challenged the landowners to take the reconciliation from their hearts and to work with ABG for prosperity on Bougainville.



Link Provided: www.postcourier.com.pg/20110328/mohome.htm