Independence supporters and opponents gear up
for next year’s elections
By Nic Maclellan
New Caledonia’s next Congressional elections will not be held until May 2014, but it seems like the electoral campaign has already begun.
In recent months, politics in the French Pacific colony has been hotting up as supporters and opponents of independence prepare for next year’s electoral contest.
Since the Noumea Accord was signed in May 1998, there has been a gradual transfer of authority from Paris to Noumea. But the Congress elected in 2014 will have a major decision. By 3/5 majority, the Congress can decide whether to proceed to a referendum on the transfer of the remaining sovereign powers (defence, foreign policy, police, courts and currency).
A vote after 2014 to transfer these powers would mean the creation of an independent and sovereign nation.
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| Young voters learn Kanak history...charismatic Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou who was assassinated in 1989. -- Nic Maclellan |
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