New Caledonia votes to stay in France; separatists boycott

Noumea, New Caledonia, Dec. 13 (BNA): Voters in the French territory of New Caledonia overwhelmingly chose Sunday to remain part of France, in a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces and closely watched over the South Pacific.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the result as a resounding confirmation of France’s role in the Indo-Pacific region, and announced negotiations on the region’s future status. The Associated Press reported that separatist activists have expressed dissatisfaction or have resigned.

They urged a postponement of the vote due to the pandemic, and were angry at what they felt were the French government’s efforts to influence the campaign. Therefore, they called on their supporters to stay away from the polling stations.

And they did. Official results showed that 96% of the participants chose to stay in France. The overall turnout was less than 44% – barely half the numbers shown in the previous independence referendum last year, where support for secession was 46.7%.

“Tonight we’re French, and we’re going to stay that way. It’s no longer negotiable,” said Sonia Pax, the Southern Province chief and fervent loyalist.

The vote was monitored by the United Nations and regional powers, amid global decolonization efforts and amid growing Chinese influence in the region. New Caledonia, colonized by Napoleon’s nephew in the 19th century, is a vast archipelago of about 270,000 people east of Australia, ten time zones ahead of Paris – and hosts a French military base.

“Tonight, France is more beautiful because New Caledonia has decided to stay,” Macron said in a nationally televised address.

He did not mention the boycott. Noting that voters “remain deeply divided,” Macron pledged to “respect all Caledonians”, including those who voted to leave.

Sunday’s vote was the third and final in a decades-long process aimed at settling tensions between indigenous Kanaks seeking independence and those who want the region to remain part of France.

The process does not end with the last referendum. The state, separatists and non-separatists have 18 months to negotiate a new status for the territory and its institutions within France.

“We are reaching a new stage,” Macron said, calling for negotiations on new structures to deal with health crises, boost the economy, improve women’s rights and protect the environment from climate change – a major concern on this island.

The pro-independence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front party threatened to seek international asylum to try to invalidate the results, and said it would not start negotiating until it had time to analyze the next steps.

“The right of the Kanak people to self-determination will not end on Sunday night or Monday morning,” Jean-Philippe Tjibau, the son of a slain separatist leader, told France-Info public broadcaster. Speaking from a town that voted 100% in favor of independence in the last two referendums but boycotted Sunday’s vote, he said, “We followed the work of our elders. And our children will follow it after us.”

A tropical storm warning also dampened enthusiasm for the referendum. Lines rolled out from some polling stations, as winds blew palm trees through the streets of the regional capital, Noumea. But the turnout for others was hardly insignificant.

Campaigning and voting day were unusually quiet due to the boycott call, though the state deployed 1,750 police and security forces in case of unrest.

While support for a “yes” vote appeared to grow, the region’s first coronavirus outbreak in September sent chaos into the political debate. Until then, New Caledonia was one of the few virus-free places on the planet.

Indigenous groups felt they could not campaign out of respect for their dead, and demanded that the referendum be postponed. But pro-French groups insisted it must be done as scheduled, to end uncertainty over New Caledonia’s future and boost its economic prospects.

Pro-independence activists have announced that they will refuse to participate, accusing the government in Paris of imposing the date of the referendum and violating neutrality by publishing a document seen as casting the consequences of independence in a negative light.

The vote to remain in France is a boost for Macron both domestically – where he is expected to face a tough challenge from far-right nationalists in the presidential election in April – and internationally.

France is trying to establish itself in the Indo-Pacific region after losing a multi-billion-dollar submarine contract to Australia’s partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom. In the region, it was a heavy blow to France.

Others argue that France’s role in the South Pacific is outdated.

The United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum sent delegations to observe the vote. New Caledonia is among 17 former colonies worldwide still classified by the United Nations as “non-self-governing” and set to participate in decolonization efforts. The other islands are mainly islands administered by Britain or the United States.

FKN