Autonomists In

A Win For The

New Caledonia

From FRED DUNN, in Noumea New Caledonia’s Union Ca donienne Party, which is seeki autonomy for the territory wij in the French Republic, retain its seat in the French Chamb of Deputies by a close, but o cisive, vote in New Caledonia June 23.

The party’s candidate and sitt; deputy, Mr. Rock Pidjot, with stro Melanesian backing, beat his p Gaullist rival, Noumea Mayor Roi Laroque, by 13,930 votes to 11,6 i A third candidate, Mr. All Bernut, a journalist, polled ab 1,500 votes.

About 30 per cent, of the te; tory’s eligible voters did not thi it worthwhile going to the polls.

Those voting for Laroque did because of the haunting fear autonomy. Laroque’s platform y anti-autonomy and anti-communisi Many Europeans were taken especially in Noumea which not c voted overwhelmingly for the Gaul candidate, but set something of record in having only about 20 cent abstaining from voting.

However Pidjot, with the m force of the native population beh him, was unbeatable.

One can hardly say that the ei tion campaign has done much endear the Europeans to Melanesians, and the latter will all out to keep the local autonc project in the fire.

There is little hope of such a tf coming to pass while de Gaulle hi the reins in France, but Melanesians hope that some there will be change.

During the campaign, Laroq party hired planes to fly t Noumea and drop leaflets.

Ironically the town which wa: a filthy mess on the day prece< the elections with gutters and f paths littered with papers of parties, had to be cleaned up Laroque forces as Laroque is Mj of Noumea.

Candidate Laroque put up the show seen for many years in opposition to the Union C donienne.