Initial results put no vote at 56.9%, as Macron says it’s ‘vote of confidence’ in French values Published: 4 Nov 2018 . Support for independence was highest in the North Province and in the Loyalty Islands, which have Kanak majorities (73.8 and 96.6% respectively in 2009) and lower population densities (5.3 and 9.2/km² in 2014, respectively) than South Province (29/km²).Aloisio Sako, a leading member of the independentist FLNKS and president of the Pacific Democratic Rally, a political party representing ethnic
In accordance with the Nouméa Accord of 1998, New Caledonians were allowed up to three referendums on independence; the first came in 2018, then two more in 2020 and 2022 if the previous ones had not resulted in independence, but one-third of members of the Congress of New Caledonia voted for another one. The South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia voted against independence from France on Sunday in a long-awaited referendum that capped a 30-year long decolonisation process. New Caledonia is a remote island territory in the southwest Pacific [File: Theo Rouby/AFP] The French Pacific island territory of New Caledonia will hold a referendum on independence … New Caledonia's UNI pro-independence party alleges the French state fails to be impartial in the lead-up to the October referendum on independence.Its leader Louis Mapou said with just over a month to go until the vote, the top French administrative court is yet to rule on the use of the French flag in the referendum campaign.Mapou said in a statement that the court had not replied to his side's challenge.By law, French political parties are not allowed to use the tricolore in their material as not to convey the notion that they represent the state.However the French government and a majority of New Caledonia's Congress found that the flag could be used in the referendum context.Mapou also said the French government's statement this week on the implications of the referendum outcome was released without the consultation asked by the signatories to the Noumea Accord last year.He also noted the French state left the field open for the multi-national nickel companies Vale and SLN to sell off New Caledonia's heritage.Pro-independence parties and Kanak chiefs oppose government plans to change the mining code which would allow the companies to export ore instead of processing it onshore.Mapou said the French High Commissioner refused to meet the leaders of a march which was held this month in a bid to thwart the sale of the Vale plant to an Australian company.A complaint has been lodged with police in New Caledonia after a fire badly damaged a large tarpaulin displaying the French flag on the facade of the seat of government of the Southern Province.New Caledonia's pro-independence FLNKS has threatened to challenge the outcome of the next referendum because of the use of the French flag by the anti-independence camp.The French government has outlined the consequences for New Caledonia should its voters choose independence in the referendum on 4 October.Leaders of New Caledonia's pro-independence FLNKS movement say they back Kanak chiefs opposed to the sale of the Vale nickel plant.Campaigning starts ahead of October referendum on independence from France The remaining third of the population of New Caledonia's 268,000 inhabitants are also largely said to oppose independence. In the capital, four-fifths of votes were against independence. France’s African and Asian colonies mostly broke free in the 1950s and 1960s. The turnout was 81% of the 174,995 voters eligible to vote in this referendum.Prior to the vote, the government and authorities in The Nouméa Accord stated a vote must take place by the end of 2018. The turnout was 81% of the 174,995 voters eligible to vote in this referendum.Prior to the vote, the government and authorities in The Nouméa Accord stated a vote must take place by the end of 2018. 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. Potential voters must be registered on the general electoral roll, and also meet one of the secondary criteria:As a consequence of these restrictions, in the 2018 referendum a total of 35,948 registered voters on the general list were thus excluded from the vote, equating to 17.11% out of a total of 210,105 registered voters on the general electoral roll.After abstaining from participating in the 2018 referendum, in July 2020 the anti-globalisation Polling stations—a total of 284, distributed across all Provisional results issued that evening by the French government indicated that 56.4% of the votes cast were in favour of maintaining the territory's current status against 43.6% for independence: a tighter margin of victory than polling had forecast and commentators had expected.The turnout rate of over 80%, surpassing figures reported in both the The regional results were very polarised, with several provinces voting one way or the other by large margins.