Macron vows to 'not force' voting rights bill in effort to ensure peace in New Caledonia

With the aim to stabilise the situation in New Caledonia, French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to not force through the highly contested voting reform in the Pacific Island region.

The anger over the controversial plan sparked more than a week of unrest, arson and looting that left six people dead and hundreds injured.

“I have pledged that this reform will not be forced through in the current context,” Macron said as he made a visit to New Caledonia. As he concluded his 12-hour visit to the region, the French leader said that more talks were needed to ensure complete peace in the French territory. He also assured that the situation will be reviewed within a month.

Dialogues to resume soon

While speaking to the reporters, Macron noted that France would “allow some weeks to enable a calming of tensions and resumption of dialogue to find a broad accord” among all parties in the French overseas territory.

The turbulence in New Caledonia commenced after the Indigenous Kanak people, who make up about 41% of the population, expressed anger over the proposed constitutional changes. The plan which was backed by Paris gave voting rights to tens of thousands of non-Indigenous residents.

Local leaders feared that the change would dilute the Kanak vote and undermine longstanding efforts to secure independence. While addressing the representatives of the indigenous community, Macron said that all politicians needed to call “explicitly” for the lifting of the blockades. “Once these are withdrawn and this is confirmed the state of emergency will be lifted,” he said.

The French President mentioned that a mediation mission would be put in place which would play an “impartial role” in resuming dialogue between the two parties and finding any sort of agreement to resolve the matter.

He said that he was confident that the parties involved could reach an accord in the “weeks and months to come”. The rioting began last week after politicians in Paris voted on the rights bill. The legislation would give French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years, the right to vote in provincial elections.

While the amendment has been approved by the French parliament’s lower house, it still needs final ratification.

Macron’s infamous 12-hour visit

Macron arrived at La Tontouta International Airport, about 30 miles from the New Caledonian capital, Nouméa. After making a touchdown, Marcon said that the state of emergency imposed on the Pacific island should not be prolonged and the authorities should aim to return to a calm situation in French territory.

While some people lauded Macron for dealing with the matter head-on, many described the visit as “theatrics”. “It’s a staging. The format is not right,” said Roch Wamytan, an independence leader of the Caledonian Union and president of the Congress of New Caledonia.

“The question we are asking is ‘Will the constitutional revision text be withdrawn to clear the way for in-depth discussions?’” he added. “Here comes the fireman after he set the fire!” wrote Jimmy Naouna, from the Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste of New Caledonia, on X, formally known as Twitter.

With inputs from agencies.