Less than one in two Caledonians went to vote

 

Philippe Dunoyer (66.4%) and the young Nicolas Metzdorf (54.2%) were elected on Sunday 19 June as deputies of New Caledonia. They defeated in the second round two pro-independence candidates of the FLNKS, Wali Wahetra and Gerard Reigner.

It was the first time in several decades that a pro-independence candidate appeared in the second round in the Noumea constituency.

The key to this election was the abstention. It is indeed the first “political party” in New Caledonia. Only 40% of registered voters went to the polls.

It should be noted, however, that these elections are of little interest to New Caledonians. The two deputies sit in the National Assembly in Paris, far from local concerns.

Both MPs will sit in the group of the party of the president of the republic, Emmanuel Macron. The latter only obtained a relative majority.

Photo: Philippe Dunoyer, (MP) and Naïa Wateou (Deputy).