Voting has opened in New Caledonia for the territory’s first provincial elections since 2019, with thousands of police officers deployed to maintain security across polling stations.
Around 2,500 police personnel were assigned to monitor the vote, while long queues formed at polling stations in the capital, Noumea.
About 192,000 registered voters are choosing 76 provincial councillors across the three provinces — South Province, North Province, and the Loyalty Islands. The elected representatives will help select members of the territory’s Congress, which has authority to pass local laws.
The election, originally scheduled for 2024, was postponed following violent unrest between Indigenous Kanak pro-independence supporters and groups loyal to France.
The vote is seen as a major moment in deciding New Caledonia’s political future and its relationship with France.
New Caledonia, a French-controlled Pacific territory located about 1,500km east of Australia, has a population of roughly 270,000 people, including Kanak communities and residents of European descent.
The territory has faced decades of debate over independence. Three previous referendums — held in 2018, 2020, and 2021 — resulted in votes to remain part of France, although pro-independence groups boycotted the final referendum.
The latest election comes after the main independence movement rejected a proposed agreement with France aimed at creating greater political stability.
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