NC autonomy 'live issue'

From GERALD ROUSSEAU in Noumea On January 17, Governor Louis Verger invited a selected group of local journalists to come up to his residence for a chat. The next day the local Press quoted Governor Verger as saying: “The French Govern ment will not grant New Caledonia internal autonomy as understood in some political circles”. The Governor was also quoted as claiming that “autonomie interne” (internal self-government) would only lead to independence.

Local political circles were quick to note that the Governor had not given a Press conference but was applying the well-established metro politan French practice of giving “news” to selected journalists.

Leaders of the December-formed “New Caledonian Front for Au.onomy” replied by holding their own Press conference on January 26.

Spokesmen for the front stated that “the Governor should not indulge in local politics, taking sides and using the prestige of his position to try to influence the electors”. The front claimed that constitutionally “it is parliament alone which has the role of deciding on the political statutes of overseas territories, as it has done for the Comoros Islands and Djibouti (in Africa), both of which have internal autonomy within the French Republic”.

The front also claimed that it is because, and only because, of the nickel riches of New Caledonia that the Paris Government is opposed to granting the island autonomy. The front also pointed out that the strong central control exercised by Paris in the past had already caused the breaking away of certain parts of the French Republic (Algeria, etc.) and warned that New Caledonia was already bound for independence, unless Paris was more comprehensive and allowed greater “real de centralisation” in the form of internal autonomy.

The Governor’s statement and the front’s Press conference created a keen debate, and one daily, La France Australe, for several days ran various opinions on the autonomy issue.

The front holds 13 seats in the 35 member Territorial Assembly due for re-election next July-August.