Kanaks coolit

Sue Williams’ Update

Kanaks coolit on election

Despite previous threats of a new boycott and doubts about the feasibility of the French government’s latest plan for the future of New Caledonia, the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (F.L.N.K.S.), has agreed to take part in the territorial regional election in August.

The decision came at the third congress of the Front at Hienghene, in the far north of New Caledonia, during the weekend of May 25 and 26.

Although they have reluctantly accepted the plan the Front made it clear it was against the proposal in principle, because it was not an F.L.N.K.S. plan and smacked of neo-colonialism.

Leader of the Front, Mr Jean- Marie Tjibaou, also made it clear that the Kanaks did not trust the French government’s intentions. He said the next two years would be used by the F.L.N.K.S. to prepare the Kanak people for independ ence and to test the integrity of the Paris administration.

Some 2000 people attended the congress which passed without incident, despite rumors of trouble and claims from Mr Tjibaou that settlers in the Hienghene area had been collecting weapons to use against the Kanaks.

The congress also repre sented an important show of unity between the various par ties and groups within the F.L.N.K.S. Some observers had been predicting a split within the Front following state ments by some of the more hard-line groups, which re jected the Fabius Plan outright.

The leading group against the proposal was the United Kanak Liberation Front (F.U.L.K.), which at its congress earlier in the month had called for a boycott of the August election. Although there was some heated discussion from the more radical elements no dissension was apparent at the press conference called on the Sunday afternoon of the con gress to announce the decision to participate in the election.

Indeed, Mr Tjibaou emphasised the decision had been one of consensus, and went on to say that the unity of the Kanak people in the struggle for inde pendence was one of the most important elements of the con gress.

Several other important de cisions were also taken at the two-day meeting, notably agreement not to go ahead with a planned demonstration in Noumea on June 8. Instead, a series of protests will be held in several other regions of the territory. The F.L.N.K.S. was obviously concerned that if the demonstration, against the French government plan to up grade military facilities in New Caledonia, went ahead in Noumea there could be a re peat of the May 8 riot which left one person dead and more than 100 others injured.

In another sign of protest against the military base the congress called on all Kanaks to boycott their military service.

They will also boycott the Pacific Festival of Arts, which was to be held in Tahiti at the end of June and the first two weeks of July. The festival had

originally been scheduled to take place in New Caledonia last December but was post poned, and then moved, be cause of the troubles which erupted following the territorial elections of November 18.

The other major decision of the congress was to maintain the provisional Kanaky govern ment until the end of this year, regardless of the outcome of the regional elections. Sue Williams in Noumea.

Jean-Marie Tjibaou..."critical support" for the Fabius plan- A.I.S. photo.