Page 15 - IB AUG 2018

Politics

“We’re working at all levels,” Goa do not want to take this step, then we the
added. “We’ve sent caravans into the FLNKS need to go back to talk bilaterally
squatter settlements with music and with the French State. Because it is the
slogans to try and get young people to French State that brought these people
register and vote. At the same time we’ve to our country and the French State that
been working with academics at the Uni- must take responsibility for them.”
versity to organise seminars, conferences
and meetings to discuss economic policy Regional support
and the way we can address the finances Since New Caledonia’s re-inscription
of an independent state.” as a non-self-governing territory at the
Goa said that the FLNKS has also been United Nations in 1986, the FLNKS has
trying to reach out to other islander com- called on the UN Special Committee on
munities living in New Caledonia that Decolonisation to monitor the decolonisa-
have arrived from French-speaking na- tion process. Over the last two years, the
tions such as Vanuatu, French Polynesia UN has sent special observers to monitor
and Wallis and Futuna. Daniel Goa with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Can- the work of the administrative commis-
“In recent months, we have sent mis- berra. Photo: Charles Wea sions that register eligible voters. The
sions to countries that have large com- French government has also agreed that
munities in New Caledonia, including the UN can send a mission to observe the
Vanuatu and Tahiti,” he said. “In Tahiti, does not benefit ordinary people. Under referendum in November.
we met with leaders on all sides of politics France, we have seen a system of pillage Daniel Goa said that in Australia, he
as well as businessmen, asking them to and mismanagement, with the wealth of also lobbied for observers from regional
call on the Tahitian population in New our nation going overseas.” bodies like the Melanesian Spearhead
Caledonia to vote Yes. In case of a Yes vote next November, the Group and Pacific Islands Forum.
“In August, I will be leading a mission FLNKS proposes that there should be a “When I spoke to government ministers
to Wallis and Futuna, because you know transition period to establish a new state. and to the Melanesian High Commission-
that there is a large Wallisian population “If people say Yes, there would be a ers, I asked that the Pacific Islands Forum
in New Caledonia. There are 8,000 people declaration of independence, but between should send an observer mission to moni-
in Wallis but 20,000 Wallisians in New four or five years there would be a tran- tor the referendum. We hope that when
Caledonia. We will be meeting with the sition,” Goa said. “We would need time Forum leaders meet in September, they
Lavelua [king] and customary leaders, to talk to France about the transfer of might agree to send a ministerial mission
asking them to speak to their community sovereign powers. We would also need to New Caledonia to ensure the referen-
and telling them that their future lies to talk to our partners in the region like dum is credible, transparent and fair.”
within New Caledonia.” French Polynesia, Australia, Papua New Since the first elections in 1999 for po-
Guinea, Vanuatu and others and develop litical institutions created by the Noumea
Fear and uncertainty partnership agreements with them. We Accord, the Loyalty Islands and Northern
Goa was critical of the language of some would need time to address economic Provinces have been run by FLNKS-
anti-independence politicians, arguing issues like our currency. led administrations, while the larger
they are more focussed on the next local “If however people vote No, then we Southern Province is dominated by anti-
elections in March 2019, rather than the will continue our struggle which has independence parties. The provinces with
decolonisation process. continued for more than 164 years. You a majority Kanak population will likely
“For years, some political leaders have must understand that the Noumea Accord support a Yes vote in November. How-
created fear about the future and uncer- makes provision for three referendums, ever many observers question whether
tainty about what independence might not one. If people vote No in November, the FLNKS can improve on the overall
mean,” he said. “Even when we talk to we can still call a second referendum in electoral results at national level, which
older people in the tribes, they are worried 2020. If people vote No again in 2020, a have seen 60 per cent support for parties
whether their pensions and superannua- third referendum can be held in 2022.” opposed to independence and 40 per cent
tion will be protected if France is to leave. What happens if New Caledonians reject in favour of independence.
“For this reason, we have prepared a the option of a sovereign state for a third “You know, we are a small Pacific
vision statement to share with people time? For Daniel Goa, the responsibility country and politics is very personal,”
our perspectives on a sovereign Kanaky lies with France as the administering Goa replied. “When people vote for our
New Caledonia. This document proposes power. provincial assemblies and Congress, they
a number of shared values between all “Going back to the 1983 meeting of often vote against someone because that
the communities of New Caledonia and Nainville Les Roches, the Kanak people politician has not delivered. But the vote
some fundamental principles for the new agreed that the ’victims of history’ should in November is different. It’s a vote about
state: it would be a multicultural society, also play a role in the final decision for our the dignity of our people and about the
a secular society but drawing on Pacific country, not just the colonised indigenous future. So the result may be a surprise.”
religious values, a parliamentary system people,” he said. “Since that time, we See We Say: page 6
and so on. have been working with the other com-
“It also discusses the key question of munities so they might join us to build an Note: During his visit to Australia, the
the economy and the fiscal standing of a independent nation together. That is the author interpreted for Daniel Goa in some
new state. We believe that New Caledo- vision that everyone agreed when they meetings.
nia has enormous mineral and maritime signed the Noumea Accord.
resources, but the wealth of our country “But if three times a majority of people nicmac3056@gmail.com

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