In New Caledonia, separatists are taking a step towards an agreement

Of the many obstacles preventing separatists and non-separatists from interacting with each other, this was undoubtedly the most divisive. However, after months of discussion with no real progress, he is the first whose lock seems to have jumped. “Now everyone agrees to consider opening the electorate”Interior and Foreign Affairs Minister Gerald Darmanin was pleased on Sunday evening on the set of public television channel New Caledonia 1, at the end of his third visit to the territory in six months.

Since 1998, the Nomea Agreement has stipulated that only local residents and long-term residents can vote in provincial elections and referendums. Much to the displeasure of non-independence supporters: it was not possible to include all those who came after 1998 on the provincial electoral rolls, the prevailing idea then was to maintain a political balance between the Kanak and non-Kanak populations.

How much is thus deprived of the right to participate in the elections of the three provinces, the communities that concentrate most of the power in the territory? About 40,000, according to the latest revision of the electoral roll released by the High Commission (prefectural equivalent) in May. Among them, 11,000 people were born in New Caledonia and fall victim to the sophistication of many of the criteria for inclusion in this list. The rules are referred to as“Absurd” by Gerald Darmanini, who ensures that their integration into the electoral body is consensual. Which is far from the case with the remaining 30,000 people. “I myself offered to live for seven years, the non-independents expressed themselves here and there that they wanted three to five years, the independents offer us ten years.”said Mr Darmanin.

Misunderstandings remain

A nuanced statement from Roch Wamitani, President of the New Caledonian Congress and member of the delegation responsible for negotiations with the state on behalf of the Kanak and the Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS): “We started a discussion, but we did not reach an agreement”He made sure, Sunday evening, at the end of the final meeting, recalling that the mandate given by FLNKS does not consider the warming of the electorate.

Therefore, it seems that misunderstandings remain between the state and the separatists: “We reminded the minister, as always, not to lose sight of our trajectory, which is to bring our country to sovereignty.Roch Wamitan also announced, and Gerald Darmanin in turn provided it There is no more colonization in New Caledonia for France, this is the opinion of the separatists..