New Caledonia to vote on independence from France

 Voters in New Caledonia, a French archipelago in South Pacific, will choose wher y want independence from France in a referendum that marks a milestone in a three-decade decolonization effort.

Sunday’s vote is key to determining future of archipelago east of Australia and its 270,000 inhabitants, including both native Kanaks, who once suffered from strict segregation policies, and descendants of European colonizers.

vote was long-planned and is focused on local issues, but comes at a time when legacy of colonialism is under new scrutiny globally after protests in recent months against racial injustice inspired by Black Lives Matter movement in U.S.

In Sunday's referendum, more than 180,000 registered voters will be asked to answer question “Do you want New Caledonia to gain full sovereignty and become independent?”

opinion polls have been released, but two years ago, 56.4% of voters who participated in a similar referendum chose to keep ties with Paris — 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles) and nine times zones away — instead of backing independence.

Both referendums are final steps of a long process that started 30 years ago after years of violence that pitched pro-independence Kanak activists against those willing to remain in France.

A peace deal between rival factions was achieved in 1988. TA decade later, umea Agreement granted New Caledonia political power and broad automy and planned organization of up to three successive referendums.

If voters choose independence on Sunday, an unspecified transition period will open so that archipelago can get ready for its future status.

Orwise, New Caledonia will remain a French territory — and refore part of European Union — with its residents keeping French citizenship.

Independence activists campaigning for “yes” vote want all sovereign powers, including justice, police, military, currency and foreign relations, to be transferred from France to New Caledonia.

A leading figure in independence camp, Rock Wamytan, 70-year-old president of Congress of New Caledonia, said “we have shown that we could man an independent country. For 30 years, we are getting ready and we are ready."

“We have thousands of young people who can w lead country with ir diplomas, ir skills and experiences," he said at a recent rally of FLNKS movement leading independence campaign.

For “” supporters, breaking ties with French state isn't an option.

Supporters of political alliance “L’Avenir en confiance” ("Future in confidence") argue in ir campaign program that “New-Caledonia in France is proud to have its own identity, rich from its diversity. We are part of French nation.”

Gil Brial, a 46-year-old member of L’Avenir en Confiance and coordinator of “” campaign, said “we need to show w that with our project within French Republic, our large degree of automy, we can develop New Caledonia.”

A more moderate party, Caledonie ensemble ("Caledonia toger"), is campaigning for a “” to independence while insisting on need to build a “common future.”

Philippe Gomes, a 62-year-old lawmaker and president of party, said pro- and anti-independence supporters need to sit down around a table to reach a consensus.

coronavirus pandemic has added an extra wrinkle to vote. New Caledonia has kept its borders almost completely closed, suspending nearly all flights, with only few exceptions and a mandatory 14-day quarantine and testing on travelers.

While France is one of Europe’s hardest-hit countries, with around 32,000 confirmed deaths, New Caledonia has reported virus-related deaths. Local authorities have reported 27 cases of infection in total, all concerning travelers arriving in archipelago.

To ensure aunticity of vote results, 248 delegates from Paris and Wallis, ar French island in Pacific, will be deployed in polling stations. International observers have also been sent by United Nations and Pacific Islands Forum.

New Caledonia archipelago became French in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III — Napoleon’s nephew and heir — and was used for decades as a prison colony.

It became an overseas territory after World War II, with French citizenship granted to all Kanaks in 1957. Under French colonial rule, Kanaks faced strict segregation policies and widespread discrimination.

While visiting archipelago in 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron ackwledged “pain of colonization” and handed Caledonian government a document that stated archipelago became a French possession in 1853 — a gesture intended to symbolize final chapter in period of colonization.

Latest estimations show Kanaks w represent about 40% of population, people of European descent about 27% and ors mostly originate from Asian countries and Pacific islands.

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