NOUMEA: Voters in the new French Island area of ​​New Caledonia chose a tremendous week to live in the French section, in a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces and closely monitored in the South Pacific.
Separatist activists have urged voice delays due to pandemic, and angry at what they say is the efforts of the French government to influence the campaign.
So they asked their supporters to stay away from the electoral station.
And they do it.
With three quarters of sound counted, 91% of those who participated in living in France, according to regional officials.
The overall selection was only 41% _ less than half a number that appeared in the previous independence referendum last year, where support to violate 46.7%.
Keeping new caledonia is important for French geopolitical ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, and French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to provide a national address on Sunday.
Voting is monitored by u.n.
And regional strength, amid global efforts to decolonization and amid increasing Chinese influence in the region.
The new Caledonia, which was colonized by Napoleon’s nephew in the 19th century, was an archipelago that was widely from around 270,000 people in the East of Australia, namely 10 time zones in front of Paris _ and organized the French military base.
Sunday’s election was the third and last in the decolonization process for decades originating from violence in 1988, which led to the French government which handed over the broad autonomy of the New Caledonia under the Noumea agreement.
This process is intended to settle the tension between the original kindergarten who seek independence and those who want the area to remain part of France.
The process does not end with the last referendum.
State, separatists and non-separatists now have 18 months to negotiate new status for their regions and institutions in France.
Tropical storm warnings also reduce enthusiasm for voting.
The annoying lines of several voting stations, when the wind whips palm trees lining the roads of the Noumea region.
But the election of others barely drips.
The question was put into people at Archipelago’s vote station was: “ Do you want new Caledonia to get full sovereignty and become independent? “Masks and social distance steps are needed.
The campaign and voting day are very calm because of boycott calls.
“There are many people ‘than during the previous referendum, said Laura Vendegou, an assessment at a vote station welcomed the new Caledonians from the Loyalty Islands.
`The opening is very calm.
“But at the Noumea City Hall, the voter appeared at 6:30 a.m.
to march to choose.
In such a first referendum in 2018, 43.6% of voters supported independence, and 46.7% was preferred in the second vote held in 2020.
While support for the election “ yes’ seems to grow, the first coronavirus outbreak in September This in September threw a political debate into chaos.
Until then, the new Caledon had become one of the few virus-free places left on the planet.
In November, the archipelago has reported 271 Covid-19 deaths, and regional senators set a year of traditional home cages.
Independence activists feel they cannot campaign because they respect their deaths, and demand that the referendum be postponed.
But the pro-French group insisted that the sound must be done according to the schedule to end uncertainty over the future of new Caledonia and to improve its economic prospects.
Pro-independence activists announced they would refuse to take part, accuse the government in Paris forcing the date of referendum and violating neutrality by publishing documents that are considered to be the case of independence consequences in negative light.
France tried to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific region after losing the multibilion-dollar submarine contract because Australian partnerships were formed with the United States and Britain sub-related submarine projects, announced in September and aimed to fight Chinese ambitions in this region , is a big blow to France.
New Caledonia held one of two French military bases in the Pacific.
U.n.
has supported the new Caledonia decolonization process and sent electoral observers to monitor the vote on Sunday.
The Pacific Islands Forum also sent a delegation to observe voting.