The Interim Bougainville provincial government has approved the establishment of the Ministry of Peace and Reconciliation. The provincial executive council, in consultation with the transitional consultative council, approved the creation of the peace and reconciliation ministry on Jan 14. Governor John Momis is responsible for the ministry until a member is appointed within the interim Bougainville provincial assembly. The establishment of the ministry would increase the executive chairman positions from eight to nine. Mr Momis said in a statement the PEC has directed the Bougainville administration to allocate funds to cater for the new ministry. The idea of setting up the Ministry of Peace and Reconciliation was initially proposed in an information paper titled Bougainville Peace Agreement Road Map to Lasting Peace on Bougainville prepared by the BPC vice president jointly with the United National Observe Mission on Bougainville. The proposal contains the strategy to secure lasting peace and stability in the post UNOMB/BIT period through Bougainville capacity building. Mr Momis said the provincial executive council formally adopted the strategy on Nov 24, 2003. Meanwhile, the joint Bougainville leadership meeting in Buka last week has again expressed concern over the delay in finalising the Bougainville Constitution and directed the technical officers to immediately meet and sort out the outstanding issues. The leaders who are members of the transitional consultative council, a political body consisting of executive members of the interim Bougainville provincial government and the Bougainville Peoples Congress. They expressed their concern after being briefed on the work of the Bougainville Constitutional Commission and the delay caused by the Attorney Generals report on the second draft of the ABG Constitution. Governor Momis said, the leaders fear that the delay will lead to frustration and can be seen as a delay tactic by the National Government on the establishment of the Bougainville Autonomous Government. Mr Momis said Bougainville leaders agree that legal issues raised by the Attorney General should be tested in court. Meanwhile, the technical officers both from Bougainville and the National Government are expected to resume discussions with the Attorney-General to try and resolve other outstanding issues. (The National)