New Caledonia is in the middle of a political crisis. The Senate is set to vote on a bill to extend the right of voters to vote in provincial elections.
The bill must be approved by the National Assembly before it can go to the voters. The issue of the right to vote is linked to the future of New Caledonian power. The island is currently in the midst of a power struggle between the French government and the island's independence movements. The vote is the first step in a process that could lead to an agreement.