The non-participation of the separatists in the referendum which will take place on December 12 is an "
encouraging sign
" showing a desire to "get
around the obstacle
" by avoiding any violence, said Tuesday Thierry Santa, outgoing loyalist president of the Caledonian government. "
I consider that, ultimately, the non-participation of the separatists is rather an encouraging sign, it is a desire for them to circumvent the obstacle, but without it being in a violent way and that, it bodes well for afterwards, so that discussions can be held in spite of everything in a peaceful atmosphere
", declared the president of the Rassemblement-LR during a press point of the loyalist movement"
Les Voix du non
".
His remarks echo those made last Thursday by Senator LR Pierre Frogier, who estimated that "by
advocating non-participation, the separatists will prevent the confrontation campaign from degenerating and compromising any hope of a new agreement
" .
Read alsoNew Caledonia facing its fate
On December 12, 185,004 Caledonian voters will have for the third and last time to answer the question: "
Do you want New Caledonia to achieve full sovereignty and become independent?"
".
Two previous elections on November 4, 2018 and October 4, 2020, organized as part of the decolonization process of the Nouméa Accord, were won by the pro-France with 56.7% and then 53.3% of the vote.
Citing the impossibility of organizing "
a fair campaign
" when New Caledonia has been affected since early September by a Covid-19 epidemic, the separatists decided not to participate in the vote.
See also Referendum in New Caledonia: "We will all be winners, or all losers"
However, Thierry Santa calls on the supporters of the no to go and vote: "
Caledonians must mobilize
", to "
reach a level which is, if possible, equivalent to that which was reached during the first two consultations
" for "
to ensure that the result is politically significant, even if legally it will be indisputable anyway, whatever happens
”. The outgoing loyalist president of the government wants "
that we then arrive at the negotiating table (...) with a framework which will have been recorded three times in a row by the Caledonians, which is the framework of a Caledonia in France (...) what seems most relevant for the future of Caledonians, for a future of peace, prosperity,of respect also between us
".
"
This is all that we must actually build at the end of this third consultation and at the end of the Noumea agreement
," he said.