Macron suspends controversial electoral reform in New Caledonia after deadly unrest

French President Emmanuel Macron has suspended the controversial electoral reform in New Caledonia after deadly riots broke out on the French island territory.

Nine people were killed in the riots that broke out in New Caledonia on May 13.

“I have decided to suspend the draft constitution on New Caledonia,” Macron said on Wednesday.

He continued: “We cannot tolerate the ambiguities at this time. They must be suspended in order to give full force to the dialogue on the ground and the restoration of order.”

The controversial electoral reform would change the existing conditions that exclude one-fifth of the population from participating in provincial elections.

The 1998 Noumea Agreement restricts the right to vote in local elections to those who lived on the island before 1998 and their descendants who have been continuously resident in the territory for at least 10 years. The voting restrictions were introduced to ensure that the indigenous population of the island territory gained more political power.

The indigenous Kanak make up about 41% of the population. The electoral reform would have given tens of thousands of non-indigenous residents the right to vote, but the indigenous Kanak feared that it would marginalize them and limit their aspirations for independence.

Both the French National Assembly and the Senate have approved the reform. However, the Constitutional Congress of both houses must still approve it before it becomes part of the Basic Law.

Due to Macaron’s announcement to dissolve parliament and call new elections, the congress cannot be held by the deadline of June 30.

As a result, independence movements in New Caledonia have already declared electoral reform dead. The Kanak Liberation Party (Palika) said: “We all agree that the European elections have passed the constitutional law. This should be a time for rebuilding peace and social ties.”

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