Noumea transparent ballot box Photo: Supplied
Voters in New Caledonia are called to the polls this weekend under tight security, almost eight weeks after destructive and violent unrest broke out in the French Pacific archipelago.
The polls aim to renew their two representatives in the 577-seat French National Assembly, which was dissolved by President Emmanuel Macron just before he, in a surprise move, called snap elections earlier this month.
The previous French general elections took place two years ago.
The first round of voting takes place on Sunday 30 June, and the second one on Sunday 7 July.
But in a context marked by persistent civil unrest in New Caledonia, which caused nine direct fatalities, several hundred companies and residences burnt down, looted and vandalised and numerous roadblocks erected, for an estimated total now close to 1.5 billion Euros, the voting exercise had become particularly risky.
Earlier this month, a staggering 86.5 percent of New Caledonian voters abstained as part of the European Parliament elections.
Amidst what is widely regarded as a quasi-insurrectional situation, which remains to be brought under control by over 3,500 security forces dispatched on the ground, local parties have selected their respective candidates, including the two incumbents on the pro-France (loyalist) side.
On the pro-independence side, internal divisions have resulted in only the hard-line party (part of the FLNKS umbrella, which also includes other moderate parties) managing to field their candidates.
It is anticipated that for these elections, the participating rate could be high.
French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc Photo: Screenshot/Facebook
On the logistics, in such a sensitive context, French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc told media he did not want to take chances, even though no party or municipality had openly called for a boycott or any action hostile to the vote.
Public meetings and gatherings banned
On Sunday, he said all public meetings would be banned, on top of a maintained dusk-to-dawn curfew and a ban on the sale and transportation of firearms, ammunition, as well as alcohol.
"There are 222,900 registered voters for the legislative elections; the voting habits in New Caledonia are that it happens mostly in the morning. So, the peak hours are between 9 a.m. and noon", Le Franc said.
He anticipated that during those peak hours, queues would be expected outside the polling stations, especially in the Greater Nouméa area (including the neighbouring cities of Païta, Dumbéa and Mont-Dore.
"And provision has been made to ensure that voters who go there are not bothered by collective or individual elements who would like to disrupt the exercise of this democratic right."
Warning from French High Commissioner
"In case some of these elements wanted to oppose the exercise of the right to vote, I, with the internal security forces, will ensure that the legislative elections take place correctly here in New Caledonia", he warned.
Over the past few days, this week, unrest has persisted throughout New Caledonia and more public buildings, including schools and fire-fighters stations, were burnt to the ground.
In the wake of a recent upsurge of violence earlier this week, after a period of uneasy calm, several schools had decided to remain closed even though they had planned to reopen on Monday this week.
Lennon's "Give peace a chance" in class
However, in Dumbéa, Apogoti high school and 13 other schools managed to partly reopen on Friday with teachers focusing on workshops.
"We met with all the teachers and we decided to mix several subjects", music teacher Nicolas Le Yannou told public broadcaster NC la 1ère.
"We chose a song from John Lennon (Give Peace a Chance) which calls for peace and then we translated the lyrics into Spanish, French and the local Drehu language.
That allowed everyone to express themselves without having to brood over the difficult situation we have gone through. For us, music was our way to escape," the teacher explained.
Psychological assistance and counselling were also provided to students and teachers when required.
A new fire-fighter building also burnt down
Païta emergency intervention centre burnt down before its official opening Photo: Union des Pompiers de Calédonie
On Thursday, the construction site for a US$3-million fire-fighter new building near the international airport of Nouméa-La Tontouta (which was scheduled to be officially opened later this year) was also razed to the ground.
The fire destroyed most of the centre Photo: LNC 2
Moderate pro-independence leader's house also targeted, destroyed
The residence of one moderate pro-independence leader, Victor Tutugoro (President of the Union Progressiste en Mélanésie -UPM, a member of FLNKS-), in Païta (near Nouméa) was targeted and burnt down by rioters on Wednesday morning.
This prompted strong condemnations from Le France, but also from New Caledonia's government, as well as from the President of New Caledonia's Northern Province, Paul Néaoutyine.
Néaoutyine, who belongs to the Kanak Liberation Party (PALIKA, moderate pro-independence) said several other politicians from the moderate fringe of FLNKS have also been directly targeted and threatened over the past few weeks.
Victor Tutugoro at the 22nd Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders' Summit in Port Vila. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Kelvin Anthony
PALIKA's political bureau also strongly condemned the attacks and destruction of Tutugoro's residence.
PALIKA's spokesman Charles Washetine, following the party's recent meeting, also called on voters to support the pro-independence candidates for the upcoming French general elections.
More generally, it once again called for calm and for all remaining roadblocks to be lifted.
"The right to vote is the fruit of a painful common history which commands us to fight for independence through the ballots and through the belief in intelligence which we have all inherited," the party said.
Ironical anniversary
Those elections in New Caledonia, ironically, coincide with the 36th anniversary of the signing of the Matignon-Oudinot Accord between Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Jacques Lafleur, respectively leaders at the time of pro-independence FLNKS and pro-France RPCR parties.
This year, there was no official commemoration ceremony.
After intense talks with then-French Socialist Prime Minister Michel Rocard, they both shook hands on 26 June 1988 to mark de facto the end of half a decade of quasi-civil war in New Caledonia.
One year later, in 1989, Tjibaou and one of his closest associates, Yéwéné Yéwéné, were gunned down by a member of the radical fringe of the pro-independence movement.