In the Antilles, Guyana and even Polynesia, the legislative elections remain marked, despite an increase, by a low participation rate. In New Caledonia, participation jumped to 60.02%, compared to 32.51% in the 2022 legislative elections.
The first results of the early legislative elections have been released. A candidate from the National Rally (RN) will contest the second round of the legislative elections in Martinique, a first in this Caribbean island, even if his score of less than 10% in the first round leaves little doubt about the outcome of the vote.
According to the provisional results communicated on Sunday by the prefecture, Grégory Roy-Larentry, a 32-year-old independent nurse, obtained 2,408 votes, or 9.88% of the votes cast in the fourth constituency (south), where the party had never crossed the 5% mark.
Facing him, the outgoing MP Jean-Philippe Nilor (New Popular Front, NFP) is leading with 63.18% of the vote, but without managing to cross the 25% mark of registered voters to win in the first round, due in particular to a low turnout (30.54%). On the scale of Martinique, the RN achieved its best scores since 2012 in this election. That year, the National Front (since renamed RN) had presented its first candidates, who had then only achieved anecdotal scores.
In 2024, the candidates stamped RN obtain scores all above 9% with a peak of 10.5% in the second constituency for Juvénal Rémir. In the 1st, 2nd and 3rd districts, incumbents Jiovanny William, Marcellin Nadeau and Johnny Hajjar all came first in the first round under the NFP banner.
RN breakthrough in Guadeloupe
According to the provisional results communicated by the prefecture of Guadeloupe, the RN did not place any candidate in the lead in the four constituencies of Guadeloupe. But two of its candidates, Laurent Petit and Rody Tolassy, are qualified for the second round in the 2nd and 3rd constituencies, with respectively 17.30% and 25.90% of the votes, far behind the two outgoing deputies of the New Christian Popular Front Baptiste (41.33%) and Liot Max Mathiasin (36.21%).
In the 1st and 4th constituencies, the second round will pit two outgoing deputies, respectively Olivier Serva (Liot) and a socialist candidate invested by the New Popular Front, Elie Califer, against an LFI candidate, Chantal Lérus, and a candidate of the presidential majority, Jennifer Linon. The participation rate is sharply up with 33.56% compared to 25.31% during the previous election in 2022.
In Guyana, outgoing deputies in the lead
The outgoing deputies invested by the New Popular Front came first in the first round of the legislative elections which took place on Saturday in Guyana.
The two outgoing deputies invested by the New Popular Front in the two constituencies of Guyana, Jean-Victor Castor and Davy Rimane, come well ahead with 62.78% of the votes in the first and 60.21% in the second, without however manage to reach 25% of those registered to win in the first round.
Facing them, two candidates without a label, Boris Chong Sit and Sophie Charles, come far behind with respectively 16.11% and 25.49% of the votes. The participation rate rose to 32.5% compared to 26.7% in 2022.
In New Caledonia, the loyalist candidate in the lead
New Caledonia loyalist MP Nicolas Metzdorf, rapporteur of the bill on the thawing of the electoral body that has provoked the anger of the separatists, came out on top on Sunday in the first round of the legislative elections. Candidate in the 1st constituency, mainly composed of Noumea, Nicolas Metzdorf – outgoing MP of the 2nd constituency – obtained 39.81% of the votes, according to the provisional results communicated by the High Commission of the archipelago.
“It is the victory of a political line, that of firmness in the face of destruction, and the victory of a political strategy which is that of unity,” Nicolas Metzdorf rejoiced to AFP. “The work is not finished (…) There is a second round and we must go and win it,” he added. Next Sunday, he will face the separatist Omayra Naisseline, member of the Caledonian Union, who obtained 36.34% of the votes in an election marked by a high turnout.
The outgoing deputy, the moderate non-independence Philippe Dunoyer (Caledonia ensemble – Horizons), came in third place with 10.33% of the votes and was eliminated. Member of the loyalist coalition, which presented single candidacies in the two constituencies of the French territory of the South Pacific, Nicolas Metzdorf (Generation NC) was elected in 2022 under the colors of Renaissance, but he was running this time without a label.
Read alsoMacronist Nicolas Metzdorf, an unwavering pro-French Caledonia activist
In the city of Nouméa alone, Nicolas Metzdorf obtained 53.64% of the votes, against 17.33% for Omayra Naisseline. The rest of the constituency is made up of several islands, largely won by the separatists but less populated. The vote was closely followed throughout the archipelago, with a participation of 60.02% compared to 32.51% during the first round of the 2022 legislative elections.
In the 2nd constituency, pro-independence candidate Emmanuel Tjibaou, one of the sons of Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou who was assassinated in 1989, came out on top with 44.06% of the vote. In the second round, he will face non-independence candidate Alcide Ponga, local president of the Republicans-LR (36.18%).
The possible election of a first pro-independence MP from New Caledonia will depend on the transfer of votes, particularly those of the voters of Milakulo Tukumuli (Eveil océanien, based on the Wallisian and Futunian electorate), who came third with 11.92% of the votes cast.
An autonomist elected in the first round in Polynesia
The first member of parliament in the new legislature has been elected in Polynesia: Moerani Frébault, a non-registered center-right autonomist candidate, won with 54% of the vote in the first round, according to provisional results released Sunday by the High Commission. This is the first time that a native of the Marquesas Islands will enter the National Assembly.
Moerani Frébault won the first Polynesian constituency, beating the outgoing pro-independence MP Tematai Le Gayic (35%). He only exceeded the threshold of 25% of registered voters required to be elected in the first round by 12 votes. His election illustrates the success of the pro-independence candidates, who presented joint candidates in the three constituencies of the French Pacific archipelago, over the pro-independence candidates, the big losers in this first round.
In the second constituency, the autonomist Nicole Sanquer (49%), who has already been a deputy, has left behind another outgoing independentist deputy, Steve Chailloux (42.1%), and finds herself in a favorable ballot for the second round. The outgoing independence MP Mereana Reid Arbelot limited the damage by coming narrowly ahead in the third constituency with 42.7% of the vote, ahead of the wife of ex-president Gaston Flosse, Pascale Haiti-Flosse (41%). .
The postponement of the votes obtained by the autonomist dissident Naumi Mihuraa, eliminated with 11% of the votes, will largely determine the results of the second round. In power since its victory in the 2023 territorial elections, the independence party, supported by the New Popular Front, has largely paid the price for its difficulties in fulfilling its main commitment: lowering the cost of living. He achieved a grand slam in the 2022 legislative elections by winning the three Polynesian seats in the Assembly.
The National Rally (RN) did not benefit from its progress in the recent European elections: its best-placed candidate, James Heaux, did not reach 6% in the first constituency, that of the second, Tutu Tetuanui, barely gathered 4.7%. The RN was not represented in the third constituency.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Outgoing centre-right MP Stéphane Lenormand came out on top in the first round in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. With 43% of the votes cast, he came in first ahead of PS candidate Frédéric Beaumont who got 17.56% of the vote. LFI candidate Marion Letournel got 14.88% of the vote and the RN, 10.59%. The latter two are not qualified for the second round.
