2014 New Caledonian legislative election

Legislative elections were held in New Caledonia on 11 May 2014.[1] The result was a victory for the three anti-independence parties (Caledonia Together, Front for Unity and Union for Caledonia in France), which together won 29 of the 54 seats (48.85% of the votes, 53.7% of the seats) in the Congress of New Caledonia.[2]

Electoral system

Voters elected 87 members to the assemblies of the three provinces of New Caledonia. In turn, 54 also become members of the Congress. Voting was restricted to people on the Special Roll, which excluded people who moved to New Caledonia after 1988.[3]

A total of 17 parties registered to contest the elections.[4]

Campaign

The main issue at stake in the elections was independence from France. The elected Congress would be responsible for taking decisions on moving towards independence, as agreed in the Nouméa Accord, and an independence referendum will be held during the term of this Congress if there is a three-fifths majority in favour of holding one.[3] However, in the lead up to the elections, the pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front claimed that around 6,700 people on the Special Roll had moved to New Caledonia after 1988, and that 2,000 people who should have been on the Special Roll and were eligible to vote in the Territorial elections were not, the two figures equating to around 7% of registered voters.[3] In response, anti-independence groups claimed that 4,000 Kanaks should be removed from the electoral roll,[5] and that taking the issue to court would threaten a return to violence.[6]

A television debate was planned to discuss the electoral roll issue, but was cancelled at the last minute.[6] The United Nations sent a delegation to the territory in March 2014 to look into the controversy around the electoral lists, and to ensure that the Accords were upheld.[7] Although the French government approved the UN delegation, the anti-independence Union for New Caledonia within France and Caledonia Together opposed their presence.[7]

Results

Party		Provincial Assemblies				Congress
		Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Seats	+/–
Anti-independence
	Caledonia Together	27,424	26.05	19	+7	15	+5
	Front for Unity	13,649	12.97	9	–14	7	–11
	Union for Caledonia in France	12,539	11.91	8	+6	6	+4
	National Front	2,706	2.57	0	–	0	–
	North Province Agreement^[a]	2,191	2.08	1	–	1	–
	Convergence Country	2,190	2.08	0	–	0	–
	The Other Voice	939	0.89	0	–	0	–
Anti-independence total		61,638	58.55	37	–1	29	–2
Pro-independence
	Caledonian Union	13,602	12.92	15	+1	9	+1
	Build Our Rainbow Nation	12,289	11.67	7	+3	6	+3
	National Union for Independence	10,929	10.38	11	+1	7	+1
	Labour Party	3,678	3.49	2	–5	1	–3
	Kanak Socialist Liberation	1,566	1.49	2	–	1	–
	Union for Building the Loyalty Islands	1,564	1.49	2	+1	1	–
Pro-independence total		43,628	41.45	39	+1	25	+2
Blank votes		865	–	–	–	–	–
Invalid votes		545	–	–	–	–	–
Total		106,650	100	76	–	54	–
Registered voters/turnout		152,457	69.95	–	–	–	–
Source: New Caledonia Government

^a In coalition with the Front for Unity

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2014-05-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. New Caledonia elections: French loyalists win, independence supporters gain ground ABC, 12 May 2014
3. French magistrates to resolve New Caledonia electoral issues Radio New Zealand International, 28 February 2014
4. 17 party lists to contest New Caledonia provincial elections Radio New Zealand International, 23 April 2014
5. New Caledonia Congress President Roch Wamytam raises electoral roll concerns ahead of independence moves ABC, 28 February 2014
6. Televised New Caledonia election debate cancelled Radio New Zealand International, 11 April 2014
7. UN sends mission to New Caledonia Archived 2014-05-04 at the Wayback Machine Islands Business, April 2014