MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New Caledonia to hold referendum on independence from France in October

A French territory since 1853, New Caledonia is a remote island territory in the southwestern Pacific with around 270,000 inhabitants.

The French Pacific island territory of New Caledonia will hold a referendum on independence from France on October 4, a month later than originally planned, due to the coronavirus, the government said on Wednesday.

Initially scheduled for September 6, the vote has been “delayed to October 4, 2020 due to the consequences of the health crisis,” French government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye told reporters.

The second vote on independence follows a referendum in November 2018 when 57% of voters chose to remain part of France.

The government in Paris had already proposed October 4 as the new date, but on June 12 a majority of MPs from New Caledonia’s parliament voted in favor of October 25.

Local elections in France due to be held on Sunday, June 28, had been pushed back by 3 months due to the coronavirus crisis, and pro-independence group FLNKS had argued that the campaign “encroached upon” the referendum.

The center-right Caledonia Together party, which is against independence, was also in favor of October 25 to guarantee a turnout as high as in 2018, when 81% voted.

A French territory since 1853, New Caledonia is a remote island territory in the southwestern Pacific with around 270,000 inhabitants.

It is located about 2,000 kilometers from Australia and some 18,000 kilometers from mainland France.

The bulk of New Caledonia’s population is made up of indigenous Melanesians known locally as Kanaks (39%) and people from European origin known as Caldoche (27%).

Violent clashes between Kanaks and Caldoches in the 1980s were ended by a French-brokered reconciliation, attempting to rebalance wealth and share out political power.

A landmark 1988 deal between France and opponents and supporters of independence gave the islands more autonomy. The deal also said there could be up to 3 votes on independence up until 2022.

If the poll on October 4 does not yield independence, there will be one remaining vote.