Electoral reform in New Caledonia that led to unrest ‘suspended’

PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that 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, he wanted to “give full voice to local dialogue and the restoration of order” after weeks of unrest that left nine people dead, Macron told reporters at a news conference in Paris.

The reform would have allowed people who had lived in New Caledonia for at least ten years to vote in local elections, thereby freeing up the electoral roll, which 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, putting their hopes of eventual independence firmly out of reach.

Although the reform was approved by both the French National Assembly and the Senate, it was awaiting a constitutional congress of both chambers to become part of the basic law. “I decided to suspend it because we cannot allow any ambiguity during this period,” Macron said.

Because the National Assembly was dissolved before the election, the congress could not be held by the deadline of June 30 – the day when voters will now go to the polls for the first round of voting. On May 13, violence broke out in New Caledonia when parliament backed the reform.

Barricades, skirmishes with police and looting left nine people dead, hundreds injured and caused hundreds of millions of euros in damage. Independence movements had already considered electoral reform dead 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 on Wednesday ahead of Macron’s comments. “This should be a time to rebuild peace and social ties,” it added. — AFP