Over 96% vote against New Caledonia's independence from France
People in the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia have voted overwhelmingly against full independence from France in the third and final referendum on the issue, a result that could raise fears of unrest and exacerbate ethnic tensions in the tiny island.
Final results from the territory’s high commission showed on Sunday that 96.49 percent of voters have rejected breaking away from France, while only 3.51 percent were in favor. Turnout was only 43.90 percent, and it was particularly low in areas where the majority of indigenous Kanaks, who support independence, live.
Polls opened across the 2,000-kilometer territory in the east of Australia at 7:00 a.m. local time (2000 GMT) on Saturday and were closed at 6:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT) on Sunday. The results were announced a few hours after all ballots were counted.
The referendum was marred by a boycott from the main independence parties who said the coronavirus pandemic prevented “a fair campaign” and wanted it postponed. The French government has rejected the demands.
New Caledonia's 270,000 inhabitants were largely spared during the pandemic's first phase but have suffered close to 300 COVID-19 deaths since the appearance of the Delta variant.
The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), the island’s main indigenous pro-independence movement, had called the government's insistence on going ahead with the referendum "a declaration of war."
Around 2,000 police and troops were sent to the nickel-rich territory amid fears that a ‘no’ vote would infuriate those who support independence and stoke instability in the tiny island.
"This referendum does not make too much sense because half the population has decided not to vote," Cathy, a bookseller who gave only her first name, told AFP at a polling booth in the capital Noumea. "I came out of civic-mindedness, what interests me is the society we are going to build afterwards," she added.
New Caledonia is one of the five French territories in the Indo-Pacific and the centerpiece of President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to expand French influence in the region.
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