Tension, violence grow

in New Caledonia

November 18 seems to be a fateful date for New Caledonia. On that date in 1984 the Kanak Socialist Liberation Front (F.L.N.K.S.), boycotted the territorial elections, starting 12 months of violence and tough negotiations in its quest for independence.

On the same date in 1985 the people of Noumea went into mourning following the sudden death of their mayor of the past 32 years, Mr Roger Laroque.

Also on that date a new set of laws covering the administra tion of the territory came into force laws drawn up by the French government to help de velop the four new regions into which New Caledonia has been divided as it moves towards self-rule.

However it was the death of Mr Laroque which held everyone’s attention. He was a fiercely proud loyalist who had vowed to keep New Caledonia French, even if it meant civil war. He was able to shut down his city at a moment’s notice and call thousands of demon strators into the streets in sup port of his cause. His 75 years did not slow him down, nor did it deter his supporters who, in 1983, elected him mayor of the capital, Noumea, for the sixth successive term.

Tributes acknowledging his courage and honor poured in from all parts of the French speaking world. The locals dub bed him ’’the last of the greats” and even the F.L.N.K.S. paid him tribute, describing him as ”a formidable adversary.”

Laroque was accorded a full state funeral, attended by many thousands of people.

Loudspeakers had been set up around the cathedral to allow the big crowd to take part in the service, and then public buses

carried them to the cemetery for his burial.

Roger Laroque will be hard to replace. His duties have now been taken over by his first adjoint Jean Leques, who is also the president of the Noumea region in the territorial congress. However, new mayoral elections will be held soon.

While the death of the elder statesman could well be seen as the end of an era, it has not taken the fight out of the anti-independence movement.

Two nights after the mayor suffered his fatal heart attack, arsonists attacked the Land Office which is responsible for buying back land for the Kanak people. The Land Office em ployees had completed the move into the new building only hours before a Molotov cocktail destroyed it.

The office had been forced to move after a previous bomb attack had devastated its headquarters in the heart of Noumea during the September election campaign.

The new ordinances drawn up for the territory are also likely to keep anti-independ ence sentiment high.

The French government has decided to dramatically in crease taxes, reinforce the efforts being made to give own ership of land back to the Kanaks, and provide the four regional councils with a sub stantial amount of autonomy to help them kick off their deve lopment.

When the draft copy of the ordinances was presented to the territorial congress in Octo ber the right-wing R.P.C.R. used its majority to squash any discussion about the proposal, but that did not stop them condemning the documents outside the congress. They were, they said, ’’completely inapplicable” for New Caledo nia.

This argument seemed to win some support when the High Commissioner, Mr Fernand Wibaux, travelled to Paris to discuss the ordinances with the then minister for New Caledo-

nia, Mr Edgard Pisani. (He has since wound up his role in this post and become an aide to President Mitterrand, handing the New Caledonian portfolio to Pierre Joxe, the Minister for the Interior).

Before his departure, Mr Wibaux made it clear he felt the ordinances did not take into account the ’’realities of New Caledonia” such as the incred ibly high cost of living.

When the final copy of the new laws was published in the official journal of New Caledo nia on November 18, it appeared Mr Wibaux had won some ground on the taxation issue, but little else had been changed.

Certainly, taxes will still in crease, but the rise will be much less than the initial proposal which would have pushed the amount of tax paid by the

Continued on page 18

Roger Laroque danced at a Lions Club ball in Noumea just 48 hours before he died. Les Nouvelles photo.

Sue Williams, Our

resident correspondent in Noumea, reports that there is still more rough than smooth in the path towards independence . . . and much higher taxes, too.