The calm after the storm

The offices on the seventh floor of Noumea’s In dosuez Bank building give the impression of emptiness.

Furnished only with functio nal desks, barely enough chairs and telephones, the office walls, apart from a few posters, are bare.

But despite the spartan sur roundings, there is an air of quiet determination and in dustry. Architects’ plans for ma jor tourist complexes, details of a proposed information service as well as several other deve lopment projects are laid out on the desk tops and are mulled over, added to and discussed by a handful of staff.

The offices are the main administrative bases for three of New Caledonia’s four regions the three controlled by the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS).

It’s a far different environ ment from the ramshackle two storey house on the poorer side of the city, which served as the front’s HQ at the start of its struggle for the French terri tory’s independence and de notes significant progress to wards that goal.

It also signals a clear strategy change. The emphasis is now on development of the regions to demonstrate the ability of the Kanak people to govern re sponsibly.

Despite warnings of a pos sible return to violence in the face of the French govern ment’s new plans for the future of New Caledonia, it’s clear that that is an option nobody wants to see revived.

FLNKS leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou has tried to remain positive. Shortly after the plan was endorsed by the French National Assembly in Paris, he declared that there were at least some good aspects.

The regions had been left in place and an all-important re ferendum on the question of independence had been sche duled for the latter half of next year.

Signs of normality are returning to New Caledonia. The economy is recovering from a stormy two years. Building has started again; car and furniture sales are buoyant.

There are even a few tourists to be seen. But the independence movement is still active while maintaining a low profile. SUE WILLIAMS reports

While the front was not ex pected to accept the new sta tute which strips the regions of much of their autonomy and scraps the office which had been responsible for buying back land for the Kanak people, it was expected to vote to stay within the institutions of the regions at the FLNKS congress due to be held after the South Pacific Forum.

A decision along such lines would certainly fit the new image the front wants to pre sent and, more importantly, could indicate the existence of a deal with the Chirac govern ment in Paris ensuring an open door for the independentists and a readiness to consider the demands of the Kanaks’ elected representatives.

While this prospect would be less than palatable to the strong anti-independence forces in Noumea, there appears to be a more positive attitude to the future of the territory in that camp as well.

Most loyalists would say that, since the election of the con servative Chirac government last March, the territory’s prob lems have been solved.

They are now convinced that they have a Paris government sympathetic to their views.

Consequently there has been a return of confidence in Noumea. There is a new energy about the city.

There is also emerging a new and somewhat paternalistic (cynics might say patronising) view of the Kanaks, perhaps indicating a willingness to “for give” the events of the past two years and work for the future.

The daily newspaper Les Nouvelles, is these days full of goodwill-type stories. We are told, for instance, what a mar

vellous job the military is doing in the Melanesian villages giving medical assistance, stag ing sporting events and gener ally getting involved.

Not seen', however, are the reports carried by the FLNKS newspaper, Bwenando, of alleged abuses by the military such as the early morning raids and the destruction of property.

We are also told by Les Nouvelles that the Melanesians living outside of Noumea are to be given the opportunity to prove they are responsible citi zens by being allowed to once again buy alcohol during the week.

Alcohol sales in the bush had been banned since the eruption of political unrest before November 28, 1984. The ban stayed in place in Noumea at weekends as well.

Although news of the work in progress or being attempted in the regions is now being re ported in the press, the extent of the organisation involved and the determination of the FLNKS-held councils to suc ceed is not well understood in the loyalist camp.

Most of these people live in Noumea and most would con sider the regions a useless en terprise and that the return to order in the bush can only be attributed to the efforts of the conservatives whose return to power in France has put the FLNKS in its place.

Certainly the front has main tained a low profile, but it is obviously in its long term in terest to keep things calm and avoid arousing the passions of their opponents who have alrady proved themselves a militant force.

It is also in the interest of the right wing to help keep the

peace and foster the new found optimism.

The economy has taken a fearsome battering over the past 20 months and this could not have continued without heavy social cost to the whole community.

Now the tourists are starting to return. The holiday industry is not out of trouble yet, but the 4,500 bookings which flowed from an intensive television campaign in Australia have brought a few sighs of relief.

Building has also started to recover and general consump tion such as car and furniture sales is now back to normal.

A further injection of Asloo million in aid promised by the Paris government will further boost the economy.

Despite the FLNKS criticism of the French government’s plans for New Caledonia, Mr Bernard Pons, its author and minister in charge of the terri tory, may have struck a work able formula.

With the right wing tamed by a new sense of security, he is tacitly allowing the FLNKS, through the regional councils, to solidify its base and take charge of the direction of the Kanak people.

But there remain in the front many who doubt the minister’s motives. Most of his public pronouncements, after all, have been blatantly pro-loyalist.

But behind the rhetoric, Mr Pons and his government must realise they cannot afford to ignore the FLNKS and risk further outbreaks of violence particularly in view of their hopes to dislodge president Francois Mitterand in the 1988 elections.

The socialist president has already proved to be a thorn in the side of the conservative government and has the con stitutional power to dissolve parliament and delare fresh elections a step he would no doubt take if he thought he could bring his own party back into power.