New Caledonia votes in independence referendum

Voters in New Caledonia are deciding whether the French territory in the South Pacific should break free from the European country that claimed it in the mid-19th century.

The polls opened yesterday morning in a referendum that’s a milestone in the process of the archipelago’s three-decade-long decolonisation — one that will help define New Caledonia’s future as an independent country or as a continuing part of France.

More than 174,000 registered voters are invited to answer the question: ‘‘Do you want New Caledonia to gain full sovereignty and become independent?’’

Observers expect a majority to favour remaining a part of France, based on opinion polls and previous election results.

New Caledonia, a cluster of islands, is home to about 270,000 people. They include the native Kanaks, who represent about 40 per cent of the population, people of European descent (about 27 per cent) and others from Asian countries and Pacific islands.

It relies on France for defence, law enforcement, foreign affairs, justice and education, yet has a large degree of autonomy. New Caledonia receives about €1.3 billion (NZ$2.2b) in French state subsidies every year, and many fear the economy would suffer if ties are severed. The referendum is the result of a process that started 30 years ago to end years of violence between supporters and opponents of separating from France.

The violence, which overall claimed more than 70 lives, prompted a 1988 deal between rival loyalist and proindependence factions. Another agreement included plans for an independence referendum. Most Kanaks have tended to back independence, while most descendants of European settlers have favoured keeping the French connection.