Sunday, the voters of Guadeloupe and Martinique were called to the polls to renew the elected officials of the departments, regions or local authorities.

Like the Hexagon, the results of the ballot were marked by a strong abstention.

Outgoing president bonus

The outgoing president of the Guadeloupe region, Ary Chalus (LREM), narrowly missed a re-election in the first round, with 49.31% of the vote, far ahead of the list of the socialist president of the department Josette Borel Lincertin (17.38 %).

Surprised in this first round, Ronald Selbonne, spokesperson for Alyans Nasyonal Gwadloup (nationalists), comes in third position.

As elsewhere, this ballot where 12 lists were in the running to elect the 41 regional advisers, was marked by a very strong abstention with a participation rate of 30.85% against 47.21% in 2015. The vote was disrupted in certain municipalities by the opening of offices late, either because of a lack of staff (absent assessors), or because of acts of vandalism. In a press release, the prefect Alexandre Rochatte "denounced the deterioration and looting of polling stations in Gosier" and "strongly condemned" them.

As for the departmental, they are also marked by a strong abstention: the participation rate is only 30.59%, whereas it was 48.49% in 2015. This record abstention means that no list on the 21 cantons only reached 25% of the votes of those registered.

Even the only pair competing in the second canton of Sainte-Rose, with 100% of the votes cast, only garnered 22.37% of the registered voters and a second round will therefore be necessary.

An eventful campaign

The electoral campaign in Guadeloupe has been peppered with political and financial investigations with several candidates placed in police custody in recent weeks, including Ary Chalus as part of an investigation for "breach of trust, embezzlement of public funds and illegal financing Of the 2015 campaign.

Josette Borel Lincertin (FGPS, Guadeloupean Federation of the Socialist Party) was placed in police custody for ten hours as part of an investigation for "illegal taking of interest, complicity in illegal taking of interest or concealment ”.

According to a source close to the investigation, the hearings concerned in particular "a recruitment to the Office of Water".

Coming fourth with 5.56% of the vote, MP Max Mathiasin, former member of the FGPS at the head of a union list of several components of the local left, has been indicted since September 2020 for "breach of trust and misappropriation of public property by a person holding public authority ”.

Scenario expected in Martinique

Unsurprisingly in Martinique, the list led by deputy Serge Letchimy (DVG) came out on top in the first round of the territorial ballot in Martinique with 31.66% of the vote ahead of that of the outgoing president, the independentist Alfred Marie Jeanne, who won obtained 25.80%.

Jean Philippe Nilor, deputy from the south, dissident of the independence movement, finished in third place with 12.01% of the vote.

The various left senator Catherine Conconne totals 10.63% of the vote.

The ten other contenders failed to qualify.

Our 2021 regional report

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Abstention was also at the rendezvous for this first round of voting, with a rate of 67.55% according to Martinique La 1ère.

An alliance in sight for the second round?

"We will take the time it takes, we still have the night to think, we still have tomorrow", for her part indicated Catherine Conconne at Martinique La 1ère.

In the meantime, this Monday, the four lists have left for the campaign.

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