Senators on Tuesday May 4 exposed their alternative proposals to a divorce between New Caledonia and France, which will be the stake of a third referendum on the independence of this territory, scheduled for by October 2022.
Read also: New Caledonia: the keys to understanding the archipelago mortgage
Two self-determination referendums have already taken place on November 4, 2018 and October 4, 2020 in New Caledonia, won with 56.7% of the vote then 53.3% by supporters of maintaining in France. For Senator LR of New Caledonia Pierre Frogier, the referendum
"is a useless exercise since neither of the two camps will ever submit to the convictions of the other and whatever the result, our convictions and those of the separatists will not vary"
, he assured during a debate in the Senate at the initiative of the Republicans.
He therefore set out a proposal supposed to make it possible to get out of the
“deadlock”
represented for him by the Nouméa agreement, which provides for the possibility of organizing three referendums:
“the community of New Caledonia will be made up of three provinces with of the principle of competence guaranteeing the differences of identity of New Caledonia ”
. The Loyalty Islands and the north, predominantly Kanak, would thus be dissociated from the south where Noumea is located, the economic heart of the rock. Recalling that during the elaboration of the Matignon agreement in 1988, the return of civil peace took place
"by dividing the territory into three provinces"
, he proposed to
"negotiate a disagreement"
, in order to
"Recognize what we share, accept what separates us and on this basis, organize our future"
.
"Common destiny"
The boss of senators LR Bruno Retailleau praised the action and contributions of Pierre Frogier who, according to him,
"never demanded a partition"
but
"a new constitutional compromise."
"We who refuse the partition between New Caledonia and France, we would not agree to move the borders inside the stone,"
he added.
"Such a project will inevitably sharpen the acrimony between the two camps,
" retorted the leader of the PS senators Patrick Kanner, wondering:
"How can we reasonably think that the solution is everyone at home?
The political differentiation that Senator Frogier proposes rhymes with confederation
(...)
with particularly unbalanced economic fortunes ”
.
Read also: Towards a New Caledonia led by the separatists
“I believe more than ever in the common destiny of the Caledonian people. A Caledonian people linked by mixed blood, a mixed culture and intertwined memories. But also, through a shared governance of the country's institutions, between separatists and non-separatists, ”
declared Gérard Poadja, non-independentist Kanak senator and UDI. He proposed to substitute for the planned third consultation,
"a referendum of rally"
. This would imply
"admitting, for the separatists, that independence is not a magic wand in the face of inequalities, academic failure and delinquency which undermines our society"
, but also
"accepting for the non-separatists , to revisit our link to France ”
.
"Blessed are those who take risks in this file"
, reacted the overseas minister Sébastien Lecornu who assured that he would put on the table
"all the proposals, good or bad, as soon as they have made the object of a work ”
. Pierre Frogier's proposal, which
"makes people react"
, has
"merits"
and poses several essential questions such as
"the distribution of powers between Caledonian institutions"
,
"taxation"
,
"the distribution of wealth"
, but also that of
"The geographical organization of New Caledonia, with the feeling that the south could be an entrenched south
," he added.
Read also: Attempt to end the crisis in New Caledonia
At the invitation of Prime Minister Jean Castex, several independent and non-separatist Caledonian leaders are due to go to Paris from May 25 to June 3
"to talk about the future"
and try to shed light on the consequences of yes or no. 'independence.