Pacific / New Caledonia

Two more French Senate candidates in New Caledonia

19:31 pm on 8 September 2017

Two more candidates have come forward from New Caledonia's anti-independence camp to run for French Senate seats.

The election will be on 24 September when France renews 170 Senate seats.

The Caledonian Republicans have put forward Isabelle Lafleur and Marc Zeisel.

Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades

This comes after Pierre Frogier of the Rassemblement, who is an incumbent, and Gerard Poadja of the Caledonia Together Party said they would jointly stand.

The Senators are chosen in two rounds of voting by an electoral college of 552 people made up of assembly members and mayors.

The second round is obsolete if they secure a majority in the first round.

They are elected for a six-year term which they are certain to sit out if voters next year reject possible independence from France.

Overseas Minister Marie-Luce Penchard (D) presents her condolences to the daughter of Jacques Lafleur, Isabelle Lafleur (L), at the funeral of the former Member of Parliament for New Caledonia, on December 9, 2010 in Noumea. Photo: AFP