Matignon monitor

New Caledonia

THE fifth annual monitoring committee of the Matignon Accords for New Caledonia took place in Paris from December 7-9. It was attended by representatives of the French state, the RPCR (Jacques Lafleur’s Rally for Caledonia in the Republic) and the FLNKS (Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front). It concluded with a decision to accelerate economic development in the French territory.

This meeting was the first one to be hosted by the new conservative government of Prime Minister Edouard Bahadur.

Although it took place without the presi dent of the FLNKS leading the pro

independence delegation (he refused to

attend), it went on smoothly, and all

participants praised its “frank and friendly

atmosphere”.

The will of the new government to get

things going along the 10-year transitory

period leading to a referendum on self determination in 1998 had already been affirmed by Dominique Perben, the Min ister for Overseas Departments and Terri tories during his visit to New Caledonia in

June.

As for the preparation of the 1993 referendum, “which shouldn’t be a blade... propositions have been made”, explained Bahadur “If it is asked to do so, the government will take part in this reflexion. But at this moment, it seems to me better that the initiative, the timetable and the organisation of such a debate should be the responsibility of the political partners in New Caledonia”.

In order to avoid the routine of what some observers have called “the yearly mass of the monitoring committee re unions”, the participants decided that preparatory meeting would now take place every three months in New Caledonia.

“One must speed up the implementation of

decisions,” explained Dominique Perben.

An eventual change of the voting conditions has been considered for the 1995 territorial elections, in order to diminish the importance of small parties every party would have to obtain at least 5 per cent of the enrolled voters, instead of 5 per cent of the voters to obtain seats. This has already caused anger among the two small right wing parties opposed to both the FLNKS and the RPCR.

The economical aspect of the future of New Caledonia is becoming the priority. A team of economists and developers will be sent from Paris to provinces, and to help set up investment projects”. The percentage of nickel in nickel ore exported (to Japan mostly) could be increased. A team of experts were coming to New Caledonia in January to see if this would help the nickel

mining industry which is going through

hard times.

During this important political reunion

in Paris, New Caledonia was faced with a

week-long general strike launched by the

USTKE (Trade Union of Kanak and

Exploited Workers), which badly affected

the international airport, the harbour and the tourist industry. The same week, the SOENC-mines (Trade Union of Mine Workers and Employees of New Cale donia) had blocked the main road of the territory during one day in three different places to protest the lay-off of 250 nickel miners.

On December 9, while all participants to the monitoring committee posed in Paris for the traditional picture in front of the Prime Minister’s residence and office, four major Caledonian unions, the USTKE, the Public servants Federation, the Workers Force Union and the New Caledonia General Workers Union signed a joint statement condemning the bad social climate and “the systematic refusal of

dialogue” by local politicians and em

ployers. “Despite the financial stability that

the Territory and businesses has benefited during the years following the signing of the Matignon Accords”, said the statement, “there has been no sign of social progress for wage-earners”. □