In French Pacific Territories

Same System, Mixed Result

Common Roll Used In Elections In French Pacific Territories

From a Staff Writer In both of the large French Territories of the South Pacific New Caledonia and French Polynesia—a new Territorial As sembly was elected in December, under the Loi Cadre.

IN French Polynesia, where the leaders of the Leftist parties (which formerly had the majority and provided the Government Coun cil) have been recently in conflict with the law, a non-Leftist majority was returned.

In New Caledonia, on December 7, the same numbers of Party rep resentatives were returned, giving the Union Caledonienne Party, led by M. Lenormand, 18 seats, as against 12 for the Republican Socialists. M. Lenormand thereupon formed a Government Council of eight Ministers, and offered two of these portfolios to the Opposition— an offer that, up to December 31, had not been accepted.

It was expected, when the Fourth Republic ended and the Constitu tion of the Fifth Republic was accepted in September, that the new French Constitution would provide for the abolition of the Loi Cadre, under which a common roll was provided for the election of a Terri tor i a 1 Assembly in both New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

As is well known, the enrolment of natives as electors in both Terri tories, in equal status with Euro peans, resulted in the return in each case of a Leftist majority.

This, in turn, brought a Leftist Council of Government into power in both Territories: both Councils introduced laws which the property owning classes regarded as oppressive: and in both Territories revolts by Rightist sections led to suspension of the Governments, and resumption of authority by the French Governors—a condition which lasted until the establishment of the De Gaullist regime in France.

The action of the new French Government, in ordering new elec tions in both New Caledonia and French Polynesia, under the Loi Cadre, was unexpected: but the re turn of a Leftist majority in New Caledonia, under the Loi Cadre, was not.

One of the first acts of the new Assembly, in both New Caledonia and Tahiti, was to declare the status of the Territory—and each declared itself “Territoire d’Outre Mer” (an Overseas Territory within the French Union).

The leader of the New Caledonia

Assembly proposed to add to the declaration a provision that the Loi Cadre be retained in its entirety: but the opposition would not agree —in fact, it demanded a return to the electoral conditions which pre ceded the Loi Cadre.

No Compromise in Noumea A vote was taken, and retention of Loi Cadre was demanded, by 18 votes to 12.

The Assembly in Tahiti, on the contrary, expressed itself against the continuance of Loi Cadre.

The new Governor and High Commissioner for France’s Pacific Territories, M. Laurent Pechoux, urged the NC Assembly to approach its difficult problems in a spirit of tolerance and compromise.

M. Lenormand responded by offer ing two portfolios in his new Gov erning Council to the opposition; but the opposition made it clear that there could be neither compromise nor co-operation while the country was ruled under the Loi Cadre.

Using the common roll, New Caledonia voted 14,600 for the Lenormand group, and 9,000 for the opposition, and there was a sub stantial increase in the Lenormand vote, compared with 1957. In 1957, only 63 per cent, of the enrolled voted; but in 1958 the vote was 73 per cent, of the total enrolment.

Big Development Programme

M. Lenormand, in a brief and lively election campaign, made the following promises: • A public works programme to cost 400 million francs (about £3 million Australian), calculated to encourage new agricultural Industry in NC. • The immediate building of huge cold stores, to enable the country to hold and distribute for its own use the foodstuffs which it can grow abundantly. (At present, such Imports are called “scandalous”—carrots and cauliflowers in cans from Holland, tomato juice from Australia, and orange juice from Cali fornia, for example). • Construction of a second hydro electric station half-way along the island, and probably a third in the north. • Government, in association with private enterprise, to exploit the ex- Japanese iron mines at Goto, the ex- Australian copper mines on the Diahot

River (north NC); and to seek devele ment of a new metal treatment syst, for cobalt and nickel. • Causeway to be built over shaill water to join Noumea with lie Nou. tb making much additional building lac available and countering the operations land speculators and profiteers in Noumi where land has reached “fantastic” prio • Development of a more force? tourist policy, including encouragement improved hotel accommodation. • Establishment of a fishing industt similar to that now operating in N Hebrides.

For de Gaulle

On December 21, the persons aj institutions (including the Assembl qualified to vote for President, both New Caledonia and Frerr Polynesia, declared almost unaniu ously for Charles de Gaulle.

It was worth noting that one the four officials in charge of tic voting procedure in Noumea was Henri Sautot, the man who beca;j famous (he was in charge of t French Government in N ♦ Hebrides) as the first Fr e n Colonial Governor to declare for Gaulle and Free France in 1940

Islands Telecommunications; Mr.

A. J. Black, manager of Cable and Wire-s less Office, Suva, now on three months leave in Australia, has seen a lot of Pacific Islands service, and some in credible changes in technique.

He was at Fanning Island betweens 1937 and 1939 as cable engineer; bacWa there again as manager between 1945A and 1947; and after six years in thert head office of the engineering brancl in Sydney, he went to Suva as managei in 1955. Having visited children anen grandchildren in West Australia, Mr Black returns to Suva, for another spel of Pacific service, in March.

Since he learned the communication trade in Adelaide in 1929, Mr. Blacl has seen the bulk of the traffic turi over steadily from the under-sea wir to radio; while the actual message once tapped out by a long-sufferin operator on a Morse key, is now flashe[?] electronically from continent to conti nent by teletype.