Voters in the French Islands region of NOUMEA, New Caledonia New Caledonia In a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces and closely watched around the South Pacific, France overwhelmingly elected to remain part of Sunday.
President of France Emmanuel Macron Applauded the result as a resounding confirmation of France’s role in the Indo-Pacific, and announced talks on the future status of the region. Separatist activists expressed their dismay, or resigned.
He had requested because of the delay in the vote. coronavirus pandemic, and they were outraged that they had sensed the efforts of the French government to influence the campaign. So he called upon his supporters to stay away from the polling stations.
And he did. Official results showed that 96 percent of those who took part chose to remain in France. The overall turnout was less than 44 percent – barely half the number seen in the independence referendum last year, where support for separation was 46.7 percent.
“Tonight we are the French, and we will remain that way. It is no longer negotiable,” said Sonia Back, president of the Southern Province region and an ardent loyalist.
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The vote was overseen by the United Nations and regional powers, amid global efforts and growing Chinese influence in the region. New Caledonia, colonized by Napoleon’s nephews in the 19th century, is a vast archipelago of about 270,000 people east of Australia that is 10 time zones ahead of Paris – and hosts a French military base.
“France is more beautiful tonight because New Caledonia has decided to stay,” Macron said in a nationally televised address.
He did not address the boycott. Noting that the voter “remains deeply divided,” Macron promised “respect for all Caledonians,” including those who voted to leave.
Sunday’s vote was the third and last in a decade-long process aimed at de-escalating tensions between native Kanakas seeking independence and those who want the region to remain part of France.
The process does not end with the final referendum. The state, separatists and non-separatists now have 18 months to negotiate a new status for the region and its institutions within France.
The pro-independence party FLNKS threatened to take international recourse to try to invalidate the results, saying it would not start talks until it had time to analyze next steps.
Jean-Philippe Tjibou, the son of a slain separatist leader, told the public broadcaster France-Info that the Kanak people’s right to self-determination “will not expire on Sunday night or on Monday morning.” Speaking from a city that voted 100 percent for independence in the last two referendums but boycotted Sunday’s vote, he said, “We carried on the work of our elders. And our children would follow after us.”
A tropical storm warning also dampened the enthusiasm for the referendum. Lines broke out from some polling stations as palm trees swayed on the streets of the regional capital, Noumea. But voting on the others was downright difficult.
The campaign and polling day were unusually quiet due to the boycott call, although the state had deployed 1,750 police and security forces in case of unrest.
While support for the “yes” vote was growing, the region’s first coronavirus outbreak in September stifled the political debate. Until then, New Caledonia was one of the few virus-free places left on the planet.
Indigenous groups felt that they could not campaign in honor of their dead, and demanded a postponement of the referendum. But pro-French groups insist it must go as scheduled to end uncertainty over New Caledonia’s future and strengthen its economic prospects.
The vote to remain French is an incentive for Macron at home – where he is expected Faced with a tough challenge from right-wing nationalists In April’s presidential election – and internationally.
After this, France is trying to register its presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Lost a multi-billion dollar submarine contract This led to a partnership Australia formed with the United States and Britain. secretly negotiated submarine project, announced in September and with the aim of countering Chinese ambitions in this area, a big blow to france,
Few countries in the region “can appreciate France’s balanced posture in what you might call the Sino-American Cold War,” said Caroline Gravelat of the University of New Caledonia.