A former French prime minister Manuel Valls has been appointed as the French National Assembly's Law Commission rapporteur for the planned change of the electoral law for New Caledonia.
Manuel Valls Photo: SUPPLIED/Pool picture
The change is aimed at accommodating last year's political agreement between New Caledonia's pro- and anti-independence camps which determines the restricted roll for this year's independence referendum.
The new law will allow for the enrollment of an additional 11,000 people, including indigenous Kanaks and others who were born in New Caledonia but had not been registered.
The bill is first up for debate in the Senate next week.
Mr Valls has welcomed his appointment as it follows his earlier selection as the head of a parliamentary mission to New Caledonia which is expected to travel to Noumea within the next few weeks.