while pro-independence battles pro-France
French Pacific results for the first round of French national snap elections have shown a firm radicalisation, especially in the case of New Caledonia.
In both of New Caledonia's constituencies, the second round will very much look like a showdown between pro-independence and proFrance contestants.
The French Pacific entity has been gripped by ongoing riots, arson and destruction since mid-May 2024.
Local outcomes of the national polls have confirmed a block-to-block, confrontational logic, between the most radical components of the opposing camps, the pro-independence and the pro-France (loyalists).
Pro-France leader Nicolas Metzdorf, who is a staunch advocate of the still-unimplemented controversial constitutional reform that is perceived to marginalise indigenous Kanaks' vote and therefore sparked the current unrest in the French Pacific territory, obtained 39.81% of the votes in New Caledonia's 1st constituency.
In the capital Nouméa, which has been suffering massive damage from the riots, he even received the support of 53.64% of the voters.
Also vying for the seat in the French National Assembly, the other candidate qualifying for the second round of vote (on Sunday, July 7) is pro-independence Omayra Naisseline, who belongs to Union Calédonienne, perceived as a hard-line component of the pro-independence platform FLNKS. She obtained 36.34% of the votes.
Outgoing MP Philippe Dunoyer, a moderate pro-France politician, is now out of the race after collecting only 10.33% of the votes.
For New Caledonia's second constituency, pro-independence Emmanuel Tjibaou arrived first with an impressive 44.06% of the votes.
Second to Tjibaou is Alcide Ponga, also an indigenous Kanak who was recently elected president of the pro-France Rassemblement-Les républicains party (36.18%).
In New Caledonia, polling on Sunday took place under heavy security and at least one incident was reported in Houaïlou, where car wrecks were placed in front of the polling stations, barring access to voters.
However, participation was very high: 60.02% of the registered voters turned, which is almost twice as much as the recorded rate at the previous general elections in 2022 (32.51%). – RNZ