The issue that sparked a violent uprising in New Caledonia on May 13 is set to return to the national political scene. Decisive elections are scheduled between now and December 15 to renew the assemblies of the territory’s three provinces, on which the composition of the local government and therefore the balance of power between separatists and loyalists depend. But the gravity of the crisis, which has lasted four months, is pushing, once again, to postpone these elections until November 30, 2025. This date is the maximum deadline set by the Council of State. Because the vote, which had been accompanied by a constitutional reform of the electorate by Emmanuel Macron rejected by some separatists, had already been postponed for six months.
Prime Minister Michel Barnier wrote to the four Caledonian parliamentarians on Wednesday 18 September to ask for their opinion on the holding of the vote. For their part, the presidents of the Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, and the Senate, Gérard Larcher, resumed meetings on the subject, which had once again become an emergency.
The Socialist, Green and Republican Senate group on Thursday tabled a proposal for an organic law to postpone New Caledonia’s elections until the end of 2025. The text states that the economic collapse of the archipelago – at a cost equivalent to a quarter of its gross domestic product, according to the local government – but also the division and radicalisation of its political forces make it impossible to organise an electoral campaign.
“total failure”
“The unrest in New Caledonia is a consequence of the forced adoption of the constitutional bill aimed at expanding the electorate without a global political agreement on the future of the territory”It is stated in the explanatory memorandum. The President of the Republic suspended his reform under pressure from events, but political dialogue has not been resumed. “We need to find a way to get the Caledonians to start talking to each other again.justifies Patrick Kanner, president of the socialist senators. This is an initiative aimed at bringing the issue back to the forefront, in order to force the Government to present an organic bill.
That “to provoke a debate so that Matignon takes up the case again”adds her colleague Senator Corinne Narassiguin (Socialist Party, Seine-Saint-Denis). “Many elements of the crisis will remain, like embers under the ashes, if the State does not resume an impartial role.”
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