Paris, France | AFP | Thursday 05/27/2021 – The consequences of the future self-determination referendum in New Caledonia on international and internal law, currency, trade agreements, nickel, and public finances were examined Thursday morning at the French Overseas Ministry by political delegations from “Caillou”.
At the end of one of these working sessions with technicians from the ministries concerned, Gil Brial, vice-president of the southern province, considered that this first morning of work was “positive”, by providing “clear details on the consequences independence, in particular on nationality, on the freezing of the electorate which must end if the no wins “.
“It is important for us to be able to clarify all these things, to put the separatists face to face with their contradictions and to show that the yes to independence has strong consequences for New Caledonia and for its inhabitants”, he added.
These exchanges follow first talks on Wednesday between Prime Minister Jean Castex and politicians in New Caledonia, at the start of a week of discussions organized in Paris between separatists and loyalists. Their dialogue is difficult, while the very date of the third referendum on independence is debated.
The exercise which consists in exposing the rule of law only applies in the perspective of a victory of the no, explained Thursday the deputy UDI loyalist Philippe Dunoyer. “If a new state were to emerge in the event of a yes victory,” all of these questions would be “totally conditioned by the will of this new state. So the exercise is all the same a little complicated. Suddenly, that requires, in this hypothesis, that the State clearly specifies what is possible and impossible “.
The working document presented by the government makes it possible to formalize the questions that Caledonian political actors will have to answer in the event of a yes or no victory in the referendum.
“In the hypothesis of independence, will the new State seek to conclude one or more partnership or association treaties? If so with which country (ies)? What would be, in this case, the links of the new state with France, with the European Union? “, he formulates for example.
Access to the Schengen area, the intentions of political actors on the subject of nationality, the economic model of the new state and the currency it will use, but also the balance of social and fiscal accounts, and order public will be the subjects to be addressed in priority in the event of independence.
But in case of victory of the no, and while the Nouméa agreement is drawing to a close, the State will have to find new modes of operation with the “Caillou”, and to begin with the question of maintaining the small electorate. and the sharing of powers between the State and New Caledonia. “Can the various political formations reaffirm (…) their explicit refusal of the partition of the territory?”, Also questions the document.
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