[?]rmand Man

[?] Election In [?]ew Caledonia

From Fred Dunn in Noumea Mr. Rock Pidjot, president of r. Maurice Lenormand’s Union iledonienne, was the successful ndidate in the elections in New iledonia and the New' Hebrides June 7 for the post of deputy : those two territories in the

ench Chamber of Deputies.

HE election became necessary when Mr, Lenormand lost his t in Parliament several months ) after being found guilty of com :ity in a dynamiting affair ( PIM, ril p, 15 and May p. 71).

Mr. Pidjot beat his main opponent, businessman Edouard Pentecost, 2,800 votes. The only other can ate, Pierre Jeanson, a Socialist, led only 541 votes. All three can ates are New Caledonians of :ed blood. dr, Pidjot’s victory is seen as a ; of confidence in Mr. Lenor nd, whose supporters have claimed was framed in the dynamiting ir. lr. Pidjot won by a landslide in centres with big native popula s. le was beaten by Mr. Pentecost in imea and on Mare (Mr. Pente :’s home island), but in both cases margins were small and Mr. Pid gained on Lenormand’s figures at last election.

Heavily Outscored

he only place where Mr. Pidjot outscored heavily was the New rides, where Lenormand’s party never been popular. The New rides vote was: Pentecost, 1,217; ot, 118; Jeanson, 29. early 40 per cent, of the electors, tly in Noumea, abstained from ig. A new electoral law, osten r introduced to combat fraud— gh this has never been a problem —was the main reason for the mtions. ie law stipulates that voters must in the polling centre where they registered, whereas formerly they i vote anywhere if they had their Jfication papers and voting cards, embers of the Union Calc ine claim that the new law was her attempt on the part of the de 'le Government to put their can

didate at a disadvantage, as it meant that hundreds of natives working outside their districts in Noumea or in the mining centres could not vote.

The Union Caledonienne claims that these people could not afford to return to their districts, and even if they could, sufficient transport did not exist to get them home. This applied particularly to Loyalty Islanders, hundreds of whom work in Noumea.

Mr. Pidjot’s term as deputy will be for the remainder of that of Mr.

Lenormand—about two years. After this there will be general elections in France and other French “ries Mr p; dint iT/Vtrv : c ■ u \ £ Mr. Pidjot, who is 57, is head of the native community of Conception, e ttLm N nf U ™ ea >j ° n V th - e ° ldest mlrfS? tS ri m i, NeW i Ca ed ? ma .; He 18 married and has a large family.

Mr. Pidjot has distinguished him self by his constant loyalty to Mr.

Lenormand. He has participated in local government for many years; he was New Caledonia’s Minister for Rural Economy until the ministerial system was abolished by the French Government recently, and he was alsc> vice-president of the Govern ment Council. t-u i . * N ?„ e r?"- nual ,ff neral . n, ef tl "8 W . om f na Club wlll 7? v- d ln c , the , F m ' nist club rooms,

V, ssjl lu,y 23

at ia3 ° a - m - Earl ier in the month, on July 2, the Women’s Club wil hold its annual Service of Remem branCe f° r those who lost their lives in the Ja P a nese invasion of New Guinea.