2023-07-25 12:04:56
This is one of the burning issues of his visit. The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Tuesday that a constitutional reform specific to New Caledonia would be held “on the basis of a consensus”, as provided for by the Nouméa Accords of 1998 which are about to expire.
At the end of the three self-determination referendums which rejected independence, the process of decolonization of New Caledonia will continue with this change of status, the “degree” and “ambition” of which will depend “on the timetable and on what we know how to agree on”, he specified during an interview on New Caledonia the 1stRRB and Caledonia.
At the time of finding New Caledonia, a lot of emotion, happiness and a great sense of responsibility.
The commitments I had made have been kept. Together for three days, let’s continue to build and open a new page of institutional projects. pic.twitter.com/yCla40FOZF
—Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2023
“It will take a change to the Constitution anyway and that change will hold,” the president said. This reform “will relate to New Caledonia, and I assume it as such”. And “after having spoken with the president of the National Assembly and the president of the Senate, I also know that they share this desire that this subject can have its own constitutional framework”, added the president who, moreover, opened a reflection on a broader reform of the Constitution.
Complies with the Noumea Accords
For the time being, negotiations on the institutional future of the archipelago are stalling, the separatists rejecting the result of the 3rd referendum which they had boycotted.
The Nouméa Accords, which had initiated the process of decolonization of the “Caillou”, provide for a reform of its status following the three referendums. The political organization set up in 1998 which allows it a very large autonomy, will remain until this constitutional modification. It will also have to abolish these Accords, which were enshrined in Articles 76 and 77 of the Constitution at the time.
In the current situation, the French State exercises sovereign powers: justice, defence, public order, currency and foreign affairs. The other subjects – right to employment, taxation, vocational training, foreign trade, maritime services, labor law, civil security, secondary education, etc. – are among the powers exercised by local government, a collegiate executive composed of 11 members, elected proportionally by Congress. This atypical institution has established a consensual democracy in New Caledonia and not majority.
Last year, a referendum project on the future legal framework of New Caledonia was announced for June 2023, before being finally forgotten.
The right to vote at the heart of the discussions
On the subject of the electorate, Emmanuel Macron wished this Tuesday “to find the consensus, there too, between the political forces for a thaw”. The Nouméa agreement provided that a minimum period of residence of 10 years was necessary to vote in provincial elections in order to prevent the arrival of new populations from distorting the balance of power between separatists and non-separatists. The constitutional reform of 2007 further tightened the conditions for access to this electorate, by establishing a deadline for arrival in the territory. Since then, the electorate has been the subject of permanent controversy in the archipelago.
However, new provincial elections must take place in 2024, hence the demand of the non-independentists to reopen the electorate, since they believe that the process of decolonization which had led to this exception to universal suffrage is closed. The separatists, who until then refused any concession, recently agreed to open negotiations.
“I salute the spirit of discussion and openness of the political forces which are moving forward on this subject”, welcomed Emmanuel Macron.
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