Polls open in New Caledonia’s first provincial elections since 2019 | Elections Information

The New Zealand public broadcaster, RNZ, reported that about 2,500 police had been deployed to safe and monitor polling stations.

Polls have opened in New Caledonia for its first provincial elections since 2019, with a heavy police presence at voting stations on the French-ruled Pacific archipelago.

On Sunday morning, about 2,500 law enforcement officials had been deployed to safe and monitor polling stations on election day, which started at 8am native time on Sunday (21:00 GMT Saturday), the New Zealand public broadcaster, RNZ, reported.

It mentioned voters had been already in an extended queue outdoors a polling station on the Resort de Ville within the capital, Noumea, earlier than voting began.

About 192,000 voters will elect 76 councillors for the three provincial assemblies: 40 within the south province, 22 within the north province, and 14 within the Loyalty Islands.

From there, 54 of these elected will turn into members of the Pacific archipelago’s congress – the territory’s predominant governing physique, authorised to move native legal guidelines.

Nonetheless, the election, initially deliberate for 2024, was delayed because the island was coping with violent unrest between Indigenous Kanaks and French loyalists. It’s anticipated to be essential in shaping future talks with France on the standing of the territory.

New Caledonia, within the southwest Pacific, about 1,500km (930 miles) east of Australia, is residence to some 270,000 folks, together with 41 % Melanesian Kanak and 24 % of European origin, principally French.

In 1863, New Caledonia was colonised by France and have become an abroad territory in 1946. It has been the topic of a decades-long dispute over France’s position in its affairs.

Sunday’s election comes after the principle pro-independence group rejected a cope with France that was supposed to deliver stability to the abroad territory.

The accord would have created a Caledonian state and established a Caledonian nationality protected within the French structure; nonetheless, it will have scrapped any future referendums on independence.

To date, three referendums have been held on the way forward for the archipelago’s independence – in 2018, 2020, and 2021 – and all three returned majorities in favour of remaining a part of France.

Professional-independence teams boycotted the third vote, which was held in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.