Pro-independence parties boycotted last year’s referendum on a split from France, arguing Covid made campaigning too difficult
A prominent New Caledonian indigenous party has said that if France wants to have an economic and political stake in the Pacific – as China’s influence in the region rises to “omnipresence” – it needs to grant New Caledonia a fourth referendum on independence and treat the Pacific island as a partner, rather than a colony.
The calls come after a contentious referendum on independence last year which was boycotted by pro-independence parties, after they said holding a referendum during a severe Covid outbreak that disproportionately hit indigenous Kanak and Pasifika populations would not return a fair result.
Continue reading...source https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/11/new-caledonia-leader-calls-for-france-to-grant-independence-vote-to-counter-chinas-omnipresence-in-pacific
No comments:
Post a Comment