Transcript
This long-anticipated referendum is the ultimate provision of 2001's Bougainville Peace Agreement which followed a brutal, protracted civil war.
The options on the ballot were for Bougainville to become independent or to have greater autonomy within PNG.
Despite a late start to preparation, due to lack of resourcing by PNG's government, the Bougainville Referendum Commission has overseen a smooth, harmonious plebiscite so far with record levels of enrolment.
Over 200-thousand people were enrolled to vote, and a regional elections co-ordinator for central Boguainville, Denise Palipal, says awareness of the process was high.
"Awareness has gone right into the rural areas. The rolls that we have now, we've tripled out the figure of eligible voters. During the past elections it wasn't like this now, like how we've enrolled the eligible voters. People were reluctant then, but not this one."
For many Bougainvilleans, the referendum has brought their focus firmly on nation-building.
After the crisis, education services were knocked out for years, leaving a "lost generation" of Bougainvilleans.
The PNG state's failure to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in annual Restoration and Development grant funds since 2005 added to Bougainville's struggles.
For seaside villager Steven Kivi, teaching younger Bougainvilleans to be self-reliant, living off their own resources, is now more important than ever.
"The Bougainvilleans must undergo training. we need to teach the people how to fish, how to catch their opwn fish, rather than becoming a dependency on someone else. Because independence, in our language, it means to look after yourself."
On the eve of polling, various distinguished PNG leaders urged Bougainville to stay part of the wider state.
But a local peace campaigner, Josephine Kauona, says most Bougainvilleans see independence as the only way forward.
"When the governments come at this time and tell us 'stick with us' I think that's too late. And it cannot make an impact. People have made up their mind already. They're already expecting this day is going to come. And they've already decided what their future is going to be like. They've already seen it."
Although a majority vote for independence is widely expected, PNG's national parliament must ratify the result before it comes to effect.
A Port Moresby-based Bougainvillean with a background in IT, Milton Kaetovuhu, admits there is much work to do for Bougainville to go it alone, but says an emphatic vote for independence can't be ignored.
"Apart from just PNG, the outside world is watching this as well. There'll be pressure from the internatinal community on the PNG government, saying 'well, you've seen the results, these people want to be on their own'. I'm sure that they're going to have to let go of Bougainville at some point in time."
According to Mr Kaetovuhu, fears of conflict breaking out in Bougainville again, should the will of the people not be fully accepted by PNG, are tempered by the fact that there's very little appetite for more fighting
"We want peace, we don't want war. So many of our peple died during the crisis. We don;t want to repeat that again. So I don't see war breaking out or anything."
The result of the referendum is to be declared no later than December 20th. Following completion of the referendum, a period of consultation between PNG's government and the autonomous Bougainville government is expected to begin.
Few on either side have been willing to put a time-frame on how long these talks may take.
However, Bougainvilleans have waited decades for their referendum, and are prepared to wait longer for independence, a dream which they say is now becoming a reality.
