The FLNKS must "
clearly define its strategy
" to resume political discussions with the State, and decide on its participation in the legislative elections, on the occasion of its 40th congress which opened on Saturday for two days.
To discover
YOUR COMMUNE - The results of the second round of the presidential election in your area
Read also Presidential 2022: in New Caledonia, the ballot divides the non-independentists
This is the first congress of the independence coalition of New Caledonia since the third and last referendum of the Nouméa agreement (1998), on December 12, which was largely won by the loyalists (96.5%) but with a low turnout (43.9%).
The separatists had boycotted the poll which they demanded to be postponed due to the health crisis.
“Full sovereignty” for New Caledonia
They called the vote a “
phony referendum
” and challenged its results in several courts.
Since then, the FLNKS, which called for abstention during the second round of the presidential election wanting to "
send a signal
" to Emmanuel Macron, refused to discuss the political and institutional future with the government "
pending the results of the presidential election
”, won by the outgoing president.
Read alsoNew Caledonia: Macron will dialogue with the separatists, according to his support committee
"
At this congress, it is up to the FLNKS to clearly define the strategy to be followed after the period of protest with the sole objective: to bring New Caledonia to full sovereignty
", declared Wassissi Konyi, spokesperson for the FLNKS, during the opening of the congress to the tribe of Ndé, on the outskirts of Nouméa.
"
The content, the format, the calendar and the team of discussions with the French State
" must be decided during this meeting, which will be open on Sunday to all the nationalist formations of New Caledonia on the occasion of a "
people's congress
".
In March and April, the two main components of the FLNKS, the Palika and the Union Calédonienne (UC), held their own congresses wishing for one "
the organization of a new referendum of self-determination under the aegis of the UN
" and for the other discussions "
bilaterally with the State
" opposing any questioning "
of the achievements of decolonization
".
"
We will in no way accept any unraveling of the Nouméa agreement
", declared Gilbert Tyuienon, vice-president of the UC, referring to the preamble of this agreement, in which "
the State recognizes the vocation of New Caledonia to benefit (...) from complete emancipation
".
The UC and the Palika had also declared themselves in favor of participation in the legislative elections, but the question must be debated again on Saturday.
