The pro-independence political party of New Caledonia has informed French President Emmanuel Macron that it is unable to urge demonstrators to take down barriers around the French Pacific region because they are not confident Macron will abandon a controversial electoral reform.
Protests against the constitutional proposal that would allow recent French immigrants to vote in New Caledonia have resulted in the deaths of at least seven persons. Some native Kanaks feel that the modification will weaken their vote and jeopardize the outcome of any upcoming independence referendum.
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The pro-independence political party of New Caledonia has informed French President Emmanuel Macron that it is unable to urge demonstrators to take down barriers around the French Pacific region because they are not confident Macron will abandon a controversial electoral reform.
Protests against the constitutional proposal that would allow recent French immigrants to vote in New Caledonia have resulted in the deaths of at least seven persons. Some native Kanaks feel that the modification will weaken their vote and jeopardize the outcome of any upcoming independence referendum.
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A week after Macron's brief visit, the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) gathered to discuss ways to diffuse tensions. At the time, protestor road barricades were still obstructing traffic, and armored vehicles had just arrived from France.
The letter to Macron's three-person mission, entrusted with resuming political conversation, stated that "this message is still hardly heard on the ground despite several meetings with activists mobilized at roadblocks and two statements from FLNKS calling for appeasement."
During a visit to Noumea last month, Macron stated that he would not push through the vote reform that caused violent riots, but he did emphasize that the obstacles needed to be addressed.
The president's remarks in Noumea were misinterpreted locally, according to FLNKS, because he did not promise that the constitutional reform would be shelved.
"This misinterpretation poses a serious challenge as it hinders our activists' ability to perceive the need for composure and compromise. Because of this, the political office of the FLNKS requests in writing that the president expressly declare that "he gives up on this constitutional reform."
The international airport in New Caledonia is still closed, and fighting between French gendarmes and native Kanak demonstrators at the roadblocks is still going on.
In an attempt to calm tensions, France has dispatched 3,000 security guards, and interior minister Gerald Darmanin announced on social media that Centaure armored vehicles had arrived in New Caledonia to assist in removing obstacles and "re-establishing republican order."
Instead, Reuters was informed by FLNKS spokesman Jimmy Naouna that a political solution was required.
He declared on Tuesday that "there will be more clashes the more military there is."
He said that there was a chance that New Caledonia will become even more militarized, which would put the region in a similar predicament to that of 1987, when French police and independence fighters engaged in bloody skirmishes.
