New Caledonia: Covid-19, justice of the peace in the third independence referendum?
Noumea, capital of New Caledonia (illustrative image).
Gettyimages / Piero Damiani
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
New Caledonia is reconfiguring itself for the weekend.
The French Pacific archipelago is facing a wave of Covid-19.
And yet, in less than two months, the Caledonians are called upon to decide on their future.
A third and final independence referendum is scheduled for December 12.
But some of the separatists demand the postponement of the vote because, for them, the campaign is under cover because of the Covid-19.
The situation is under control, answer the loyalists who want to maintain the date of December 12.
Overseas Minister Sébastien Lecornu is in Nouméa to try to untie the standoff.
This Saturday he began crucial consultations with the Caledonian political forces,
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The incidence rate of Covid-19 will be the justice of the peace.
Today, it is close to 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The limit of 100 cases would be the objective for the holding of the poll.
But for the "yes" camp at independence, the campaign is already stillborn.
Daniel Goa, is the president of the Caledonian Union, the main pro-independence force: "
Today, with the things that have fallen on us, we ask that it be postponed, as we had requested at the start in 2020 .
"
A year of "
economic sluggishness
"
In other words, a referendum after the presidential election.
A bad idea for the deputy Philippe Gomès, supporter of French New Caledonia: “
New Caledonia, stake of inferior policy, in general it ends badly.
And then the second thing is that one more year is a year of additional local tensions, economic sluggishness, so no!
If the epidemic is controlled, the referendum must be held on the date scheduled
.
"
"
Mouse hole
"
Between the threat of a boycott brandished by the separatists.
and pressure from loyalists to turn the page on the referendum as quickly as possible, Sébastien Lecornu is playing it safe.
The Minister of Overseas Territories has not given himself any deadline to set the fate of the ballot.
In search - according to his entourage - of a "
mouse hole
" to maintain December 12th.
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To read also: Covid-19: New Caledonia again confined this weekend
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