After more than a month and a half of violence, New Caledonia is also preparing to vote for the legislative elections on Sunday. Police and gendarmerie will be heavily mobilized to secure voting operations, while the archipelago is still experiencing significant tensions. As for the European elections, the organization has been reviewed.
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In New Caledoniatime difference requires, this Saturday takes place the first round legislative elections in a particularly tense context and under high surveillance. On the eve of the vote, no electoral billboard in sight in the streets of Noumea and not a single candidate poster. As for the European elections three weeks ago, the logistics of the vote were reduced to a minimum due to lack of resources, explains our correspondent in Noumea, Charlotte Mannevy.
Alan Boufenèche is the director of civic life for the municipality: “ The city’s municipal workshops were looted and burned. More than a third of our vehicle fleet has fallen into ashes, so today we do not have the material means to be able to put up these billboards. »
In Noumea and its suburbs, the worst affected by seven weeks of violence, polling stations have been grouped together. It is still difficult to move around in many neighborhoods, where the roadblocks cleared at night by the police are reassembled in the early morning. And while schools are closed, some will also reopen to serve as polling stations.
Reinforced security and curfew extended until July 8
Security is being increased around polling stations. If there were individual or collective elements who wanted to oppose the exercise of the right to vote that Caledonian voters have, I would take my responsibilities “, declared Louis Le Franc, High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia.
Throughout the Pacific archipelago, gatherings are prohibited until 8 p.m. Sunday. The curfew between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. is extended until July 8, the day after the second round of the legislative elections.
For the European elections, two municipalities were unable to organize the vote for security reasons, this time the State assures us, no town hall expressed concern. Caledonians of all political stripes seem to intend to vote. And no party called for a boycott of the polls on Sunday.
Due to lack of transport on the archipelago, numerous proxies
Since Monday, a tent and chairs have had to be set up in front of the central police station to accommodate all those who want to establish a power of attorney. And there are many of them: no public transport operates in the territory. Priscilla, for example, is patient, because she will not be able to return to her island of Lifou: ” I vote on Lifou. At the moment, there are no planes or boats, so I made a proxy so that people can vote for me. »
In total, nearly 4,000 police officers and soldiers, including members of the GIGN and the RAID, are deployed across the country and will attempt to ensure that the vote is conducted properly.
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