for New Caledonians

A stern 'non' to self-rule for New Caledonians

From a Noumea correspondent

Mr Olivier Stirn, French Minister for Overseas Territories, has knocked back a Noumea reform project seek ing internal autonomy for New Caledonia.

Speaking from Paris, Mr Stirn was quoted in the Noumea press as saying, “There is no possibility of granting New Caledonia the internal autonomy demanded by Mr Roch Pidjot (Deputy for New Caledonia in the French National Assembly).

Talks have begun towards a revision of this territory’s political status . . . and I shall myself table a project in June seeking greater autonomy for the Governor’s Advisory Council (Conseil de Gouvernement ) and the communes (municipalities) in New Caledonia and French Polynesia”.

The project advanced in May by New Caledonia’s Melanesian deputy, Roch Pidjot, calls for the appoint ment of ministers with the right to elect their chief executive (Council President) and have him answerable to the Territorial Assembly. How ever, France insists it must retain the power to fill this top executive post, which is held by the French Gover nor, a public servant, who answers to Paris and not the Territorial Assembly. This Caledonian desire to reduce the power of the governor is the same as that of French Polynesia, where France also insists it must con tinue to nominate a French public servant as governor and head of the executive (PIM, May, p 4).

Caledonian politicians met Mr Stirn in Paris late in May for talks over the island’s political status and the nickel tax issue. The delegation included 11 members of the Terri torial Assembly, representing five of the eight fragmented parties now in existence.

An outline of Paris policy to con tinue firm political and economic control of the island was given by Governor Eriau, on May 13. The Governor was delivering the “address from the throne” at the opening of the latest session of the Territorial Assembly. After his speech, detailing what he wants to do in the name of France, the governor always leaves the chamber with no address in reply from the elected members or debate of issues raised.

The latest such speech contained no new revelations for the Cale

donians but reiterated French govern ment proposals to change the system of collecting local revenue through nickel tax. Also mentioned were slight changes to widen the debating powers of the Governor’s Advisory Council. But this will still leave the Caledonians with no final control over the public service, which answers to the Governor and not elected representatives of the people.

In addition, municipal (communal) changes are intended, to flatter the numerous mayors, but this will prob ably tie the fund-seeking municipali ties more closely to Paris sources of revenue, and thus Paris control.

In the long drawn-out debate over nickel expansion, Governor Hriau warned Caledonians that they must try to check local inflation which is reducing the island’s competitivity in attracting new investors. (Of course, Caledonians blame Paris for bungling negotiations and delaying new com panies in their projects to build extra nickel smelters on the island.) The Governor also repeated that the local system of collecting revenue must be changed so that nickel smelt ing companies are taxed on their level of profits rather than simply on the quantity of nickel they ship out of the island. The reason given is that a Paris company shipping out Cale donian nickel should not be taxed if it is operating at a loss, as happens to the SLN. This of course brings into question the value and techniques of French management, over which the Caledonians have no control.

Governor Eriau said the SLN group is prepared to invest enough to increase their production from 70,000 to 90,000 tonnes over the next four years if (tax) conditions are favourable. Linked with future Caledonian development, the Gover nor also spoke of the building of local nuclear power plants in about 10 years’ time.

News reached PIM from Paris in June that four pro-autonomy mem bers of the New Caledonia group in cluding the chairman of the Terri torial Assembly, Mr Yann Celene Uregei, walked out of the talks and flew back to Noumea after reportedly disagreeing with their fellow dele gates and protesting over the French Government’s proposals for reform of the island’s statute.