Opinion: The New Caledonian Independence Referendum is Undemocratic

By Marylou Mahe*

Tomorrow's independence referendum in New Caledonia is undemocratic and a betrayal of the French State's word to the Kanak people, and it won't have my vote writes Marylou Mahe.

"I have the impression that my culture is being ignored, that my Kanak identity is being denied. We are being set back more than 30 years, to a time when our voice did not count. It is as if we do not exist."

Despite protests from indigenous Kanak groups, the New Caledonian independence referendum has been set for Saturday 12 December. Pro-independence Kanak factions demand that the referendum be held after August 2022, as agreed to by the French State.

The December date is problematic, in large part due to the serious impact of Covid-19 on the Kanak population, and will impede the ability of many Kanak to vote.

The Pacific Cooperation Foundation's Pacific Voices series speaks with young Kanak woman Marylou Mahe. Ms Mahe insists that the French State must keep its word and delay the referendum. Otherwise, both peace and democracy are at risk in the French territory.

If the independence referendum goes ahead on 12 December, it won't have my vote.

I am a young Kanak woman. I am pro-independence and a decolonial feminist, and I wish to prevent my people from suffering further injustice and humiliation from their coloniser, France.

For more than 30 years, New Caledonia has undergone a process of decolonisation which is unique in the world. Following the Matignon (1988) and Nouméa (1998) agreements, the Kanak people and the various communities present on the archipelago (Oceanians, Europeans, Asians) have worked to build a common society. A process driven by constant dialogue, the spoken word, and the recognition of the Kanak culture, which had long been ignored prior to the agreements. This was done under the watchful and "neutral" eye of the French State. The spoken word refers to a Melanesian way of navigating the world, it determines actions and assures the perpetuity of the collective existence of the group. The spoken word is sacred as it insists on a moral and spiritual commitment - it cannot be betrayed.

The Nouméa agreements included the organisation of up to three referenda as part of the decolonisation process. These referenda are to answer questions about sovereignty and the potential independence of the islands from France.

The first independence referendum took place in November 2018. French loyalists, who wish to remain part of France, predicted that the "Non" (no) vote would win up to 70% of the vote. However, the results were much closer: Non ended up with only 56.7% of the vote while 43.3% of the voters said "Oui" (yes) to independence.

This gave us hope. In October 2020 the second referendum was held. Again the results were close, with 53.3% voting no to independence and 46.7% voting yes. There were only 10,000 votes between the two camps. We felt that we were touching independence with our fingertips; the momentum was in our favor.

For the third and final referendum the French State had initially announced that the consultation could not be held between September 2021 and August 2022, because of the French presidential campaign and elections taking place until April 2022. Later, the French state contradicted itself and imposed the date of December 12, 2021, despite no agreement being reached.

The referendum campaign was about to begin on September 6, 2021, when suddenly Covid arrived in New Caledonia. Until then the territory had been Covid-free, but just as the campaign started the first Covid cases were recorded and soon the disease spread. The Covid virus is still a problem in the territory: so far 276 people have died. To control the outbreak some lockdown measures have been put in place.

Despite this crisis, the French State has defied common sense and insisted on the 12 December date for the independence vote. In response, the pro-independence movement has called on their electorate not to participate in the vote.

I wouldn't vote. By not voting I denounce the betrayal of the spoken word, given by the State. The future of New Caledonia cannot be built without its first people. The Kanak voice is the cornerstone of New Caledonia's common destiny. I wish to encourage young people, particularly women whose voices are too often ignored: let us react and make our voices heard! We will be the main actors of our future; it's time to act.

The referendum is undemocratic and must be postponed

The campaign conditions are not met

With the current health restrictions in place it is impossible to create the democratic conditions for a fair and legitimate referendum campaign. During previous referenda the pro-independence movement mobilized itself using large rallies. This time such gatherings are impossible. Compared to the French loyalists the pro-independence electorate is less connected through the digital world. Many Kanak tribes do not have easy access to the Internet. The digital divide is real, and the idea of a "fair" online campaign is only an illusion. Beyond the digital issue the coronavirus is still circulating in New Caledonia. It is frightening, and likely to demobilize a significant number of pro-independence voters. People justifiably fear the possibility of contamination in the polling stations.

A Time of mourning

The pandemic is not a time for political campaigns, it is a time for traditional Kanak mourning practices. In these traditional ceremonies, we accompany our dead to their final resting place. This is particularly important when we know that more than 50% of the people who have died from the virus are Kanak. The Customary Senate, the representative body of the Kanak people, has declared a period of mourning of one year, for remembrance of those who have passed away.

However the French State, through the voice of the Minister of the Overseas Territories, dismissed these cultural issues. This was a sign of contempt. My culture is being ignored, and my Kanak identity is being denied. This denial sets us back more than 30 years, to a time when our voice did not count. It is as if we do not exist.

Betrayal of the spoken word

The spoken word is of considerable importance in Kanak culture. The State has betrayed its word by insisting on 12 December as the date for the third referendum. Although the State positions itself as an arbiter, historically it is still the coloniser. The State takes political positions that favor non-independent political parties.

It is cynical of the French State to hide behind the law. The 12 December consultation will be perfectly "legal", even if half of the electorate does not participate. But what political and moral legitimacy can be given to an independence referendum without the participation of the colonised people? Thus, the French State, with the support of the "loyalists," is undermining 30 years of spoken words and negotiations to build a community of destiny. This is at the risk of taking us back to the violent confrontations of the 1980s, when our claims to sovereignty and our identity were scorned. We have been advancing together on the luminous path of a common "us" but the State, by its failure to keep its word, is bringing us closer to the shadows of the past.

As a young Kanak woman my voice is often silenced but I want to remind the world that the Kanak people are here, we are standing up for our rights, and we are acting for our future. The French State's commitment to its spoken word may die on 12 December 2021, but our right to recognition and self-determination will never die.

*Marylou Mahe was born in Houaïlou, in the Kanak country of Ajë-Arhö. She is of mixed Kanak and French descent. Marylou is a decolonial feminist artist and student in English studies, in France. She is currently finishing her master's thesis on Hawaiian feminism.