Stay French, or not? New Caledonia holds independence vote

By CHARLOTTE ANTOINE-PERRON
Associated Press

NOUMEA, New Caledonia (AP) — Voters in the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia are set to decide Sunday whether to break away from France. The referendum is important for French geopolitical ambitions and is being closely watched amid growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. But pro-independence forces are refusing to take part. They accuse the French government of trying to rush through the polling, the third and last such vote foreseen as part of decades-long decolonization efforts. The process is aimed at settling tensions between native Kanaks seeking independence and those who want the territory to remain part of France. But New Caledonia’s first coronavirus outbreak in September complicated the campaign.