Deal Between Two Anti-Independence Blocs Collapses in New Caledonia

A deal of cooperation between two anti-independence blocs in New Caledonia has collapsed. In an official statement last month, the Caledonia Together party and Future with Confidence confirmed that they would be running with a single list in the coming election. They argued that this was the only way to secure one of the provincial assembly's 14 seats which have all been held by the Kanak pro-independence parties.

Now, the coalition has fallen out over ranking of their respective candidates with both blaming the other for the impasse. Experts say the May 12 election is expected to be a closely fought contest in which the pro-independence side is hoping to secure a majority in the 54-member Congress for the first time. The southern province is dominated by anti-independence parties while the northern province is another stronghold of the pro-independence camp. Moreover, the narrower than expected vote for the status quo in last November's referendum on independence from France has fueled fears among some anti-independence politicians that they could for the first time lose their majority in Congress.