Controversial new French PM delays New Caledonia election for a year
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The proposed changes have sparked fear among the Indigenous Kanak population, who worry that it could favor recent arrivals to the territory.
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Demonstrators hold Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) flags during a Paris gathering on May 16, 2024. (AP)
France’s new prime minister, Michel Barnier, announced that the provincial election in New Caledonia, originally scheduled for December, will be postponed for a year.
In his first address to parliament, Barnier also revealed that a controversial bill proposed by President Emmanuel Macron to amend the constitution and alter the voting registry in New Caledonia would not be sent for ratification. The proposed changes have sparked fears among the Indigenous Kanak population, who worry that it could favor recent arrivals to the territory.
The election, initially set for December 15, will now take place at the end of 2025.
New Caledonia, with a population of about 270,000, was rocked by unrest in mid-May, sparked by French plans to impose new rules that would give tens of thousands of non-indigenous residents voting rights. The approval of the voter list bill by both houses of the French parliament in May triggered mass protests by pro-independence groups, some of which turned violent. In response, President Macron declared a state of emergency and sent thousands of police and military reinforcements to the territory, which is located nearly 17,000 kilometers from Paris.
The unrest has resulted in the deaths of 13 people, mostly Kanaks, and two police officers, with nearly 3,000 arrests made. Barnier acknowledged that New Caledonia is in the middle of an "exceptionally grave crisis" and emphasized that he would address these issues early next year by convening a government committee focused on the high cost of living in France’s overseas territories, including New Caledonia.
Martinique, New Caledonia rise against rising costs, colonial legacy
Last month, violent protests erupted on the island of Martinique, another French overseas region, over the high cost of living, with gunfire injuring at least six police officers and one civilian.
During a presentation of his government's policies to lawmakers in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Michel Barnier expressed his awareness of the struggles faced by the people of New Caledonia, stating, “I am aware of the suffering and anguish felt by the people of New Caledonia and I want to reiterate that the state and my government will be at their side.”
New Caledonia became a French colony in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III and later became an overseas territory after World War II. In 1957, French citizenship was granted to all Kanaks, the Indigenous people of the island. The Kanaks have long fought for independence from France, driven by a history of segregation and widespread discrimination.
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