New Caledonia rejects full independence from France – again
The South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia voted against independence from France on Sunday for the second time in three years, a provisional final count showed.
The "no" vote won 53.26 percent of votes at the territory's 304 polling stations, a narrower margin of victory than in the 2018 poll.
The result will bring relief to the French government, and president Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he welcomed the result.
"Voters have had their say. They confirmed their wish to keep New Caledonia a part of France," Macron said in a televised statement from the Elysee palace. “As head of state, I salute this show of confidence in the Republic with a profound feeling of gratitude.”
A surprise "yes" vote would have deprived Paris of a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region, and dented the pride of a former colonial power whose reach once spanned large parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Named by a Brit, taken by the French
Named in 1774 by British explorer Captain James Cook, who felt that the islands lying 1,500 kilometers east of Australia and 1,800 kilometers north of New Zealand reminded him of Scotland, New Caledonia was annexed by France in 1853.
Tensions have long run deep between pro-independence indigenous Kanaks and descendants of colonial settlers who remain loyal to Paris. In the 1970s and 1980s, these tensions spiralled into violence culminating in a 1988 hostage-taking which led to the deaths of four gendarmes, two military rescuers and 19 Kanak hostage-takers.
Following that incident, the Noumea Accord gave certain provisions to the Kank population, transferred some powers to the Congress of New Caledonia and set in motion a 20-year period of transition toward independence.
Enshrined in France's constitution, the Noumea Accord allows for up to three referendums – in 2018, 2020 and 2022 – if the previous ones do not result in independence but at least a third of the Congress members vote for another.
Despite a second defeat, those in favor of independence are expected to carry the mandate through Congress for a third and final referendum in 2022. The 2018 referendum voted No by 56.67 percent to 43.33, so the provisional 2020 result of 53.26 percent to 46.74 suggests the gap is closing towards the simple majority needed.
