Nearly 32,000 pro-independence people (15,000) and non-independence people (17,000) mobilized this Saturday, April 13 in Nouméa, according to the police, on the subject of the expansion of the electorate in view of the next provincial elections in New Caledonia.
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The demonstrators met in the city center of Nouméa, New Caledoniaseparated by a “sanitary cordon” set up by the police.
The draft constitutional law aimed at opening the electorate to people residing in the territory for at least ten years is currently being examined in Parliament and has reignited tensions between supporters of independence and its opponents. After being adopted in the Senate, it must be examined by the National Assembly during the month of May.
Read alsoNew Caledonia: high-risk mobilization day in Nouméa
“ Paris, hear us! », chanted in front of an essentially European crowd Sonia Backès, the loyalist leader, at the initiative of this mobilization with the Rassemblement-LR (right) to show her attachment to France and the opening of the electorate.
The procession made a loop to the sound of the Marseillaise and the rhythm of the slogans: “ We are at home ! “, ” No freedom without democracy! We are the democracy ! France is us! “, or : ” Proud to be Caledonians, proud to be French! “.
A warm greeting to our friends from #Gathering and to the tens of thousands of citizens who demonstrated today in #Noumea to bring Caledonia to life within France. Peace requires respect for everyone, but also through democracy https://t.co/lH8pPFoC83
— 🇫🇷 Olivier Marleix (@oliviermarleix) April 13, 2024
“The State has gone beyond its impartiality”
“ This is not an action against the Kanak people but it is not normal that we do not have this citizen right. It is an aberration that we do not have the same rights as elsewhere in the Republic! “, Bertrand, a 67-year-old demonstrator who has been living in New Caledonia for three months, told AFP. “ This is France. We voted no to independence three times. If the separatists didn’t want to vote, that’s their problem. I’m here because I want all people to be able to vote at home “, declared Guillaume, 17, resident of Koumac, in the north of Grande-Terre.
” LPeace is threatened because the State has gone beyond its impartiality. It has touched a taboo and we must resist. The thawing of the electorate leads us to death », For his part estimated Roch Wamytan, one of the leaders of the Caledonian Union, the main independence party of the FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front).
We could also read numerous calls not to sign the “nickel pact” proposed by the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire to support the Caledonian industrial sector.
Read alsoNew Caledonia: loyalists and separatists face-to-face again