“Forceful passage”, the end of a “denial of democracy”… New Caledonia’s constitutional reform divides deputies

The National Assembly must vote on Tuesday on the controversial constitutional reform to change voting methods in New Caledonia.

Even 17,000 km from New Caledonia, this constitutional reform remains a sensitive subject. The government’s project must be voted on Tuesday, May 14 at the end of the day to open voting in the provincial elections of this island to metropolitan residents and residents present for more than ten years on the date of the election. A reform decried by the separatists and which generated riots in Nouméa.

Currently, only Kanaks, as well as residents who settled on the island before 1998 and their descendants can vote in local elections. The separatists believe that this thaw risks “further minoritize the indigenous Kanak people“. Nicolas Metzdorf, Renaissance deputy for the island, wants to put an end to what he calls “denial of democracy” : “When we arrived in New Caledonia in 2000 and we did not have the right to vote in local elections, what do you think it was called?”

This text carried by the government which pits loyalists and separatists against each other would allow residents currently excluded from local elections to participate, provided they have lived on the island for more than ten years on the date of the election. The left will vote against. “It is a strong move by the government which wants to push the separatists to negotiate under the threat of the application of this law”believes the rebellious Bastien Lachaud, who believes that reforms must be made, but not in this way.

The socialist Arthur Delaporte is a little more measured: “This reform must be part of an overall reform which reviews all the institutions of New Caledonia.” For the PS deputy, it is up to the Prime Minister to take charge of the file, and not to the Minister of the Interior who is currently carrying out the reform. “New Caledonia is not just about maintaining order and electoral rulesrecalls Arthur Delaporte. It is also about an economic situation, strong cultural and identity issues.” Furthermore, Emmanuel Macron proposes to invite separatists and loyalists to Paris to try to relaunch the dialogue.

The police have made a total of 82 arrests over the last two days, Gérald Darmanin told the press. The Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories “extremely strongly condemned this violence“, qualified as”riots committed by delinquents, sometimes criminals“. A total of 54 gendarmes and police officers were injured, some “seriously“, added Gérald Darmanin, specifying that families of gendarmes had been “evacuated“. In Nouméa, the High Commissioner of the Republic called on the population for calm, as did the pro-independence president of the territorial government, Louis Mapou.