Caledonians

New Deal

For New

From a Noumea correspondent It will be “neither department nor independence”, maybe “province or region”, there will be “decentralisa tion and deconcentration of power”, certainly not the “internal autonomy” which has been demanded for the past 25 years but rather a case of “camouflaged neo-colonialism”.

These, according to your political viewpoint, are possible names for a new set of political statutes France is to draw up for New Caledonia.

Meanwhile, cables to the French President and Prime Minister registering “deep disappointment” and “strong protest” were all Mr Dick Ukeiwe, the president of the New Caledonian Territorial Assembly, could do in face of the latest snub to the Caledonians. The snub came with the cancellation of the repeatedly postponed visit by Mr Olivier Stirn, French Minister for Overseas Territories. Mr Stirn had been expected in Noumea on August 10 to announce replies to the requests by a New Caledonian Assembly mis sion to Paris in June.

Instead, Mr Stirn’s answers came to the Caledonians by radio from Paris on August 7 Paris is prepar ing new political statutes to attach overseas territories completely to France in a way that can be changed only with the approval of the whole nation (and not the territory alone).

In addition, New Caledonia will in future elect two deputies to the French National Assembly (there is currently one, a Melanesian autonomist).

Furthermore, France will control private (Catholic) education in the territory from March, 1977, in return for financial aid. Other funds will be provided to help balance the territorial budget deficit of about $2O million per annum.

The anti-administration weekly L’Unite Caledonienne, claims the policy of the Paris government has been to “bring the territory to have a budget deficit in order to be able to impose its dictates, as it does today”.

The paper denounces this Paris

“blackmail” over the deficit and asks why doesn’t France pay back the im mense loans she had inadvisably led the territory to undertake in recent years.

On the other hand, Governor Eriau expressed his satisfaction at the success obtained by the assembly mis sion to Paris. However, Melanesian leader Mr Yann Celene Uregei and his Union Multiraciale party denounced the new moves as a “time bomb”, destroying the Kanaka people and normal evolution towards in dependence”. Like the autonomists in Tahiti, he called for new elections in the Territorial Assembly before any change in the statutes.

The official reason for cancelling Mr Stirn’s visit is that he had wanted to visit all French Pacific territories but that was no longer possible: since the June resignation of Francis San ford, French Polynesia’s deputy to the French National Assembly, that territory has launched into a three month electoral campaign, which it would be improper for the minister to interrupt.

Meanwhile, in the pro administration camp, which currently has a majority of one man in the Caledonian Territorial Assembly, the power ball-game between Noumea and Paris continues for the benefit of those who still can be bothered to watch. To revive the game, new jour nalists are flown in each year to operate local newspapers, radio and TV and give some attempt at fresh commentaries to a contest in which most Caledonians, after 25 years, are either too weary or too scared of “in jury” to get involved.

For lack of real action, especially in the continuing economic slump, those selected players still prepared to act out the drama for the benefit of the gallery have resorted to a game of words. Exactly what could Mr Stirn have in store for the island now that he has promised another attempt at drawing up new political statutes?

As Dick Ukeiwe solemnly an nounced; “In Paris, they are looking for the word and they have asked us to look too. The French language is rich enough for us to find the appropriate word”. It looks like another word game that could keep the Caledonians entertained for years. Meanwhile, “since Mother knows best”, France rules the waves, and New Caledonia will soon be more firmly attached to Paris.