The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, announced this Thursday (23) the suspension of the controversial reform of the electoral census that provoked the revolt of independentists in the overseas territory of New Caledonia 12 days ago, which resulted in six deaths and “colossal” material damage. ”.
“After listening to everyone, I made a commitment that this reform will not come into force in the current context. Let’s give ourselves a few weeks to resume dialogue for a global agreement,” Macron told the press at the end of his express visit to the archipelago, located 17,000 kilometers from France, in the Pacific Ocean.
Macron considered that “the suspension of pickets and blockades” of young independentists is an essential condition for the political parties involved to sit down to dialogue, referring to pro-French parties and pro-independence parties.
“When we have verified that these blockades have in fact been lifted, political dialogue must resume immediately, along with the launch of a mediation mission,” said Macron, who will assess the progress made within a month.
The “new global agreement” desired by the president must include several points, including the reform of the electoral census – an issue that irritates the archipelago’s independence supporters because the extension is considered harmful to them -, a plan to make the economy less dependent on nickel and “the issue of a self-determination vote”, about which he did not provide further details.
That general agreement, Macron said, would then have to be put to a vote by New Caledonia residents.
Tension between the indigenous Kanak population and French colonizers and their descendants has been a decades-long problem, and three referendums to decide on New Caledonia’s independence ended in a “no” victory in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
The last one was boycotted by independence supporters in the territory, who had refused a request for the referendum to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The current wave of violence stems from a measure recently approved by the French Legislature. A 1998 agreement established that only native New Caledonia and migrants who arrived in the territory up to the year of signing this commitment can vote in provincial elections and local referendums.
However, France’s Parliament approved last week that people who have lived in New Caledonia for at least ten years could also vote. The measure displeased pro-independence groups. (With EFE Agency)
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