non-independence Alcide Ponga elected president of presidency | EUROtoday

After a primary unsuccessful try the day earlier than, the brand new authorities of New Caledonia appointed its president, the non-independence Alcide Ponga, on Wednesday January 8.

The eleven members of the federal government of the French archipelago within the South Pacific gathered once more for the election of their president and this time gathered six votes in favor of Mr. Ponga, from the Le Rassemblement-Les Républicains motion.

His competitor, Samuel Hnepeune, obtained three of the 5 independence votes. The National Union for Independence, which has two seats, selected to abstain.

Coming from a Kanak household

Alcide Ponga comes from a non-independence Kanak household. Mayor since 2014 of the small mining city of Kouaoua, on the east coast of the principle island, he has additionally been president of Rassemblement-Les Républicains since April 21, 2024. He is the primary Kanak to occupy this place.

A political science graduate, Mr. Ponga, 49, spent his profession in mining, a sector that’s now in nice problem however which stays the main supplier of personal employment within the archipelago. He succeeds the independentist Louis Mapou, whose authorities was overthrown on December 24, 2024 with the departure of the center-right Calédonie ensemble social gathering.

The new authorities was elected on Tuesday by the territory’s Deliberative Assembly, however was unable to right away agree on a reputation. Some of the separatists, together with Caledonia collectively, then abstained regardless of the candidacy of Philippe Dunoyer, from their ranks. He introduced his resignation from the federal government, lower than an hour after the election, as a result of divisions inside the non-independence group.

Louis Mapou overthrown for his “lack of firmness” towards the State

More than seven months after violent riots, the archipelago was plunged into uncertainty on December 24, 2024, by the overthrow of the federal government in place for 3 years. The members of the New Caledonian authorities are elected by an inventory vote. In the occasion of resignation, it’s the subsequent particular person on the resignation who takes the place of the particular person resigning. Only the resignation of all the checklist causes the autumn of the federal government. This is the situation that occurred on December 24, with the departure from Caledonia collectively.

The motion criticized the chief of Louis Mapou for its “lack of firmness” going through the State as a part of discussions for help within the reconstruction of the territory.

Its economic system was introduced down by the rebel which started on May 13, 2024, after the adoption by the National Assembly in Paris of a really controversial reform of the Caledonian electoral physique. Located 17,000 kilometers from Paris, New Caledonia was ravaged in 2024 by six months of insurrectional tensions, towards a backdrop of pro-independence protests by the citizens within the provincial elections, essential for the territory.

The unrest price the lives of fourteen individuals and induced greater than 2 billion euros in injury. The vote, which was to happen in 2024, have to be held on the finish of 2025.