For the beautiful family photo hoped for, it will still be necessary to wait. Too many chairs have been left empty. The first “partners’ agreement” between the State, the separatists and the non-separatists, which was to relaunch, Friday, October 28, in Paris, the dialogue on the future of New Caledonia, at the invitation of the first Minister, Elisabeth Borne, is a failure.
The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) refused to come, while, in recent days, the leaders of its four components decided one by one, after some hesitation, not to participate. Overcoming the internal divisions of the independence movement so as not to betray the common cause, the great figures declined: Daniel Goa, head of the Caledonian Union (UC), Roch Wamytan, president (UC) of the congress of New Caledonia, then Paul Néaoutyine, leader of the Kanak Liberation Party (Palika) and president of the North Province. Refusal, too, for Victor Tutugoro’s Progressive Union in Melanesia, and Aloisio Sako’s Oceanian Democratic Rally. No representative of the customary Senate. Nor from the association of separatist mayors…
Only the loyalist party held, on Thursday, one of the “bilateral” planned at the Ministry of the Interior
Only the loyalist party held, on Thursday, one of the “bilaterals” planned at the Ministry of the Interior. Without managing to unite: the Calédonie ensemble group, under the impetus of the former centrist deputy Philippe Gomès, refused to co-sign the joint declaration promoted by Sonia Backès, president of the southern province and secretary of state for citizenship of the Borne government.
The executive was expecting “complicated beginnings”but wanted to believe it. “Everyone wants to resume the dialogue”, we were assured at the Elysée, at Matignon, as well as at the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories. The hope was to receive, in a large new format, forty Caledonian political, economic and religious representatives. “The state had the responsibility to initiate the discussion. It is, from October 28”, says Matignon. State and loyalists converge to say that “The road will be long and complicated”.
It will indeed be necessary to close the long transitional political process, which began in 1998, in principle for twenty years, of the Nouméa agreement: it strengthened the autonomy of New Caledonia by large transfers of powers, in view of a “full sovereignty” yet to write. After this “method meeting”working groups will nevertheless be set up, on the economy, social cohesion and institutions.
You have 71.5% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.