In an interview given to the French daily The Parisian on the plane returning from Nouméa, President Emmanuel Macron says he is ready to submit to a referendum the electoral reform which ignited the powder in the South Pacific archipelago.
3 mins
“ I can go to the referendum at any time », argued Emmanuel Macron duringa daily French interview The Parisian on the plane that brought him back from New Caledonia. The archipelago has been shaken by riots since May 13. At issue: a reform which provides for the expansion of the local electoral body for provincial elections and which, according to supporters of independence, risks undermining the indigenous Kanak people, who represent more than 41% of the population.
During this interview, the Head of State nevertheless reiterated his desire to see New Caledonian elected officials agree on “ a global agreement which would enrich the text already voted on in Parliament “. To do this, he gave the two camps until the end of June, aided by a mediation mission of three senior officials, before carrying out a progress update.
Thursday, on the occasion ofa quick visit to NouméaEmmanuel Macron is committed to ensuring that the reform “ do not force yourself “. If it continues its parliamentary journey, the text will have to be adopted by the National Assembly and the Senate meeting in Congress to be validated. But ” It’s not just Congress », recalls the president in the columns of Parisian. “ I can go to the referendum at any time, since there is a conforming vote from both assemblies. »
“ I assume a gesture of appeasement but I will never make the decision to postpone or suspend under the pressure of violence »
I assume a gesture of appeasement and openness but I will never make the decision to postpone or suspend under the pressure of violence », Reaffirmed Emmanuel Macron to the newspaper Le Parisien. “ The thaw [électoral] is part of the transitional measures provided for by past agreements. This progress is just », he maintains. The president also considers himself “ fascinated », always in the columns of Parisian“ to see certain political forces, on the left, find speeches odious when they are delivered in France but legitimize them when they come from Nouméa ! If we said in Paris: We are going to limit the electorate, otherwise we will be replaced… Wouldn’t that seem weird? I fully assume » he insists.
For their part, the separatists are still demanding the withdrawal of the reform, after the worst violence that the archipelago has experienced since the 1980s. Clashes between supporters and opponents of independence then left nearly 80 dead and fears of New Caledonia plunged into civil war.
The FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front), the main pro-independence component, admitted on Saturday that “ Today, the main goal of the independence movement is to ease tensions and find lasting solutions for our country “.
Read alsoNew Caledonia: tensions remain high, first evacuations of French tourists
The state of emergency remains in force in New Caledonia where tension remains palpable. Certain districts of Greater Nouméa still escape the control of the police despite the desire to “ restore order » by Emmanuel Macron. Seven people have lost their lives since the start of the crisis in the archipelago.