Edouard Philippe proposed Saturday to postpone to October 4 the referendum on the independence of New Caledonia initially scheduled for September 6, due to the logistical difficulties arising from the coronavirus crisis. "In order to guarantee the irreproachable nature of the organization of the referendum", the Prime Minister "proposes that the date of the referendum" on the accession to full sovereignty of New Caledonia, "initially stopped on September 6, 2020, be set for October 4, 2020, "said the press release.
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"A risk remains on the supervision of voting procedures"
Because even if "the preparations for the referendum were continued" during the health crisis, "a risk remains on the framing of the voting procedures", explains Matignon. "Our ability to collect 250 applications for national and international observers, and to send them to New Caledonia within deadlines compatible with the three weeks of quarantine required to date" for each arriving in New Caledonia "is not guaranteed ", added the press release.
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"Consider a possible third consultation in 2021 or 2022"
After the first referendum, which was held on November 4, 2018 and saw the victory of the "no" to independence (56.7%), the date of a second referendum had been set by the Prime Minister at 6 September 2020, less than two years after the first, as provided for by the Noumea agreement which organizes the gradual decolonization of the archipelago.
The new date of October 4 "allows to keep all the possible alternatives aimed at avoiding the coincidence of the national electoral deadlines of spring 2022" and "to envisage a possible third consultation in 2021 or in 2022", guarantees Edouard Philippe. "The government is committed to ensuring that the overall timetable for the consultation process is not changed," he promises. If the "no" to independence wins again in 2020, a third referendum can then be held by 2022, under the Noumea Accord.