While the situation in New Caledonia has improved slightly and the previously declared State of Emergency has been lifted, recreational vessels are still being advised against visiting the country due to the continued instability of the situation.

Published 5 months ago

Yachts Advised Against Visiting the Country

“The situation in New Caledonia has somewhat improved, but unfortunately not everything has returned to normal”, Clementine Givre, Agency Manager for Noumea Yacht Services, told Noonsite.

“We regret that we cannot guarantee anything to pleasure boats due to the instability of this situation.  However, any skipper is welcome to contact us by email at contact@nys.nc so that we can inform them of the situation day by day and according to their needs.”

Fuel and Food in Scarce Supply

Viki Moore from Island Cruising NZ told Noonsite that she still had two rally boats in a marina in Noumea, New Caledonia, and they were being well taken care of by Noumea Yacht Services.

“They (the cruisers) report that getting fuel and food is hard, but they feel safe in the marina,” Viki said.  “Current advice is to stay well clear of New Caledonia.  While I think those boats are OK for now, I don’t think it would be safe to be out visiting any of the Kanak villages at the moment and if any cruisers got into trouble I doubt the officials would have the capability to be going on rescue missions when they are dealing with such an unstable situation.”

Macron’s Dissolution has Implications for New Caledonia

In an analysis of the current situation in New Caledonia, a media organisation in neighbouring New Zealand noted that French President Emmanuel Macron’s surprise dissolution of the National Assembly and call for snap general elections on 30 June and 7 July has implications for New Caledonia.

The report by Radio New Zealand (RNZ) noted that civil unrest and rioting first broke out on 13 May in reaction to a controversial Constitutional amendment, directly affecting the voting system at local elections.  The approving vote in the National Assembly took place on 14 May. A few weeks earlier, on 2 April, the Senate (Upper House) had approved the same text.

However, the proposed constitutional change – which would open the list of eligible voters to some 25,000 citizens, mostly non-indigenous Kanaks – remains in limbo, as it needs to go through a final stage.  This final step is a vote in the French Congress, during a special sitting of both the Senate and National Assembly with a required 60 per cent majority.

Macron earlier indicated he would summon the Congress at some point by the end of June.  During a quick visit to New Caledonia on 23 May, he said he would agree to wait for some time to allow inclusive talks to take place between local leaders, concerning the long-term political future of New Caledonia – but the end of June deadline still remained.

Dissolution Means Congress Cannot Sit

According to the RNZ report, what the French Constitution says is that all pending bills left unvoted by the Lower House are cancelled, simply because the dissolution signifies the end of the legislature and therefore of the current ordinary session.

In the particular case of New Caledonia’s constitutional text, which has already been passed by both Houses, the general perception is that it would probably die a beautiful death after being given the dissolution final coup de grâce.  Obviously, now that the French National Assembly has been dissolved, the French Congress cannot sit.

“We’re now in caretaker mode and all outstanding bills are now cancelled,” outgoing National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet said on French public television France 2 on June 8.

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Related News:

• After Macron’s Dissolution:  What Happens to the Controversial Constitutional Amendment (Radio New Zealand)
• France Lifts State of Emergency in New Caledonia, maintains Curfew (France24)
• New Caledonia: France Imposes a State of Emergency Following Deadly Riots (May 21, 2024)

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Related Links:

• Noumea Yacht Services
• Island Cruising NZ/Down Under Rally

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