Macron suspends reform in New Caledonia due to new elections

French President Emmanuel Macron said an electoral reform that sparked deadly unrest in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia would be “suspended” in light of early parliamentary elections.

Instead, the president wants to “give full voice to local dialogue and the restoration of order,” Macron told reporters at a press conference in Paris after weeks of unrest in which nine people were killed.

The reform would have allowed people who have lived in New Caledonia for at least ten years to participate in local elections, thus abolishing the electoral structure that had remained unchanged since 2007.

The indigenous Kanaks feared that the change would dilute their share of the vote among the population of 270,000, making their hopes for eventual independence unattainable.

Although the reform had been approved by both the French National Assembly and the Senate, it still had to be adopted by a constitutional congress of both chambers to become part of the Basic Law.

“I have decided to suspend it because we cannot leave anything unclear at this time,” Macron said.

Since the National Assembly had already been dissolved in advance of the election, the congress could not be held by the deadline of June 30. On this day, voters will go to the polls for the first round of voting.

Violence broke out in New Caledonia on May 13 in response to parliamentary votes in support of the reform.

Barricades, skirmishes with police and looting left nine people dead, hundreds injured and caused damage amounting to several hundred million euros.

Independence movements had already considered the electoral reform a failure after Macron called for new elections following his camp’s defeat in the European elections on Sunday.

“We all agree that the European elections have approved the draft constitution,” the Kanak Liberation Party (Palika) said ahead of Macron’s comments.

“This should be a time of restoring peace and social ties,” it continued.