Roch Wamytan has secured his third consecutive presidency of New Caledonia s Congress.
The pro-independence Kanak leader registered a convincing victory on Wednesday securing 29 out of the 54 available votes for the speaker-like-role.
Roch Wamytan
Photo: AFP or licensors
Anti-independence groups fielded two candidates; Virginie Ruffenach of the Rassemblement Party, the leading anti-independence party, who won 7 votes and Annie Qaeze of the Caledonie Ensemble Party won 6 votes. The balance was made up of 12 blank votes or abstentions.
The result is a significant boost for the independence aspirations of indigenous Kanaks given the historic election this month of Louis Mapou, the first pro-independence Kanak president of the French Territory s collegial government.
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Nine more covid infections in French Polynesia
French Polynesia s Covid-19 tally has breached the 19,000 cases mark after another nine infections were recorded over the weekend.
Daily infection numbers have however plummeted to single digits after peaking in November when French Polynesia had the fastest propagation rate of the pandemic outside Europe.
Photo: AFP
Six cases of the Delta variant were discovered last week.
More than 60,000 people have been fully vaccinated and since last week, there is no curfew.
Gatherings continue to be restricted to a maximum of 25 people and in enclosed spaces, masks have to be worn by people aged 11 and older .
Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Walter Zweifel
The 11 member collegial government met this morning in Noumea but the majority FLNKS pro-independence groupings again could not agree on a single candidate.
This means the new government cannot be properly constituted leaving the old government in a caretaker role with budget responsibility given to the French High Commission.
As with both the earlier attempts in February and March today s vote saw anti-independence leader Thierry Santa securing four votes with an even split of three votes each for the pro-independence candidates Louis Mapou and Samuel Hnepeune and one abstention.
The political uncertainty in New Caledonia could not have come at a worse time with serious outbreaks of Covid-19 in the community and neighbouring Wallis and Futuna and the territory still reeling from the impacts of Cyclone Niran last month.
New Caledonia to try again tomorrow to elect president rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.