“There is a result of the vote which must be heard”, insists Gabriel Attal

“There is a result of the vote that must be heard“, insists the government spokesman Gabriel Attal this Tuesday on franceinfo, while the separatists contest the legitimacy of the third referendum on the independence of New Caledonia which was held during the weekend. He recognizes everything. even that the abstention rate is a “political fact“, then only 43.87% of those registered on the electoral rolls voted. The” no “to independence won 96.49% of the votes.

“It was the third consultation and for the third time, and without the slightest ambiguity, the Caledonians chose the Republic“, welcomes Gabriel Attal.

According to him, and despite repeated requests from the separatists, “nothing justified changing this date. Not the health situation since we have an incidence rate which is below 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in New Caledonia. I recall that this third consultation was requested by the separatists themselves, that the date had been set in consultation with them. What could have justified changing the date is if we had had a health situation that prevented the voting operations from being held.“.

“Democracy is about respecting the deadlines that have been set in consultation with the actors concerned, the local actors. There were voting operations that went smoothly, there were no clashes, there was no blockage, there was no problem of access to the polling stations. . They opened, including in towns held by separatists“, notes the spokesperson.

“We have the future to draw”

Gabriel Attal

to franceinfo

“OIt has always been very clear whether the result is yes or no to this referendum, there would in any case be a future to be drawn with New Caledonia and a new day which was opening. This is why the Minister of Overseas Sébastien Lecornu is on site to discuss with them. There is the institutional question but there are also other issues: the economic question, the nickel question, the question of Caledonian youth.“.