New Caledonia is currently experiencing its most serious tensions since the 1980s. And one of the main problems is the same as forty years ago: the choice of who can vote to decide the future of the territory.
The archipelago, French since 1853, is divided between two camps: the loyalists, who want New Caledonia to remain French, and the separatists on the other. This opposition led to years of violence, notably between 1984 and 1988. A quasi-civil war which led to the signing of historic agreements: those of Matignon in 1988, then those of Nouméa ten years later.
In these agreements, it was notably decided that only Kanaks and long-time residents could vote in certain elections and referendums. This is called the special electoral body, which is still in force today. In this video, we explain to you why how this electoral body works, and why its reform is problematic today.
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