The president of New Caledonia's largest pro-independence party has warned against surrendering border controls to France which he says puts New Caledonia's people at risk.
The FLNKS flag widely used in New Caledonia Photo: RNZ Walter Zweifel
Daniel Goa wrote an open letter to the president Thierry Santa asking him to act and pointed out that it was up to New Caledonia alone to determine how to deal with the threats posed by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Last week, France loosened its health emergency whose rules were made applicable to New Caledonia but which both the Caledonian Union and the anti-independence Caledonia Together party reject as unconstitutional.
Mr Goa said should there be no action he would ask the Caledonian Union ministers to quit the collegial government.
He said they should not be part of what he called a masquerade and be responsible for New Caledonians dying.
The dominant anti-independence alliance, which includes Mr Santa, dismissed the two parties' stance, describing it as politicking and a sign of deep dishonesty.