Socialists lose

reach election

Giscard d’Estaing is the new esident of France and is expected to here to most of the policies of the e President Pompidou, at least so r as overseas territories are con rned. But, had the decision been t to the New Caledonians and the ench Polynesians, Mitterand would ve become president.

The first round on May 5 gave s lead to M. Mitterand (50 per nt) among the autonomy-seeking thitians, against M. Chaban-Delmas 6 per cent) and Giscard d’Estaing 1 per cent) with 66 per cent of sctors voting.

In New Caledonia, where 64 per nt of electors voted, metropolitan ench influence is stronger and the mbined right wing came out on p—Chaban-Delmas (28 per cent), scard d’Estaing (25 per cent) out ted Mitterand (43 per cent). Cale nian autonomists campaigned for itterand, but no doubt the corn mist members of his United Left :re unpalatable to the locals.

However, voting in the second imd on May 19 in the straight fight tween d’Estaing and Mitterand, the ter won in both Polynesia and in ;w Caledonia but his narrow ijority in New Caledonia was upset the French settlers in the New whose votes are included in ; New Caledonia returns. These ve d’Estaing a win with 18,912 tes to Mitterand’s 18,711.

French Polynesia voted 19,086 1.23 per cent) for Mitterand and ,167 (48.77 per cent) for d’Estaing. allis was unashamedly for d’Estaing th 2,714 against 155 for Mitterand.

The metropolitan French were itching intently to see how French icific Islanders would vote, fearing at a vote for Mitterand could mean eir being cast adrift from France, itterand composed a special mess e for the overseas territories to tell em it was up to them to decide rat they wanted in their political itus.