Nominates Who

Row In Caledonia

Over Who

From a Noumea correspondent Members of New Caledonia’s

Territorial Assembly have

threatened that they will not vote : unds from their next budget to inance projects at the South 3 acific Commission. This follows he failure of the French Admin stration to allow the Territorial \ssembly to nominate New Caledonia’s delegate to the 10th Jouth Pacific Conference.

At the request of the Assembly to lave a choice in this matter, the Ldministration first declared that this /as a matter involving foreign affairs nd thus had to be handled by Paris.

Tie Administration however later romised to study the matter and Jovernor Louis Verger subsequently 'rote to the Assembly proposing that nominate two of its members to be bservers at Suva.

The Assembly however turned own this offer, as such observers ave no voting power. The territory’s fficial delegate, it pointed out, is ominated by Paris and has this □wer, even though he is not elected y the population.

The Assembly claimed that it has equently requested the right to loose who should represent the rritory at the South Pacific Com iission, without insisting that such :presentatives would be Territorial ouncillors.

The Assembly thus requested the dministration to take its desires to consideration in the future.

Meanwhile, New Caledonia will be presented at Suva in September, as the last conference, by a jovial Melanesian priest, Father Jacob apea.

It will be remembered that New aledonia’s delegate last year pro ised a $1,500 contribution to the *C budget, earmarked for a minar on educational broadcasts in hools.

This seminar was recently held in iva, but no Caledonian delegate tended. In fact there was only one ench-speaking participant from s New Hebrides.

With top-level interpreters being id up to $lOO per day, it was timated that the transport of equip mt and translation of proceedings :o French cost the SPC budget well er $2,000.