Indigenous Opposition Over Voting Rights Expansion
Riots Erupt Since Night of 13th
Death Toll Rises to 6
Flame Relay Scheduled for 11th Next Month Canceled
As unrest continued for the sixth day in New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific, the French government canceled the 2024 Paris Olympics torch relay schedule.
On the 18th (local time), according to the daily Le Figaro and others, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced at a crisis response meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office the previous day that the torch relay in New Caledonia, scheduled for July 11, would be canceled.
The 2024 Paris Olympics torch was planned to start in Marseille, France's second-largest city, and pass through 400 cities in mainland France and overseas territories before arriving at the Olympic opening ceremony venue on July 26.
The unrest has continued since the night of the 13th. So far, it is reported that four civilians and two gendarmes have died.
The unrest began as the French government pushed for a constitutional amendment to expand voter eligibility by granting local election voting rights to those who have lived in New Caledonia for more than 10 years. The bill has passed both the National Assembly and the Senate and is awaiting approval at a joint session of both houses scheduled for the end of June. If passed, about 25,000 voters will be added to the electoral roll, which has raised concerns among the indigenous Kanak people that their position will be weakened. The Kanak people make up about 40% of New Caledonia's total population of 280,000.
In the political sphere, voices are emerging that the schedule for handling the constitutional amendment, which caused the current unrest, should be postponed to calm the New Caledonia situation. Yael Brun-Pivet, Speaker of the National Assembly, also requested at the crisis response meeting chaired by the Prime Minister the previous day that the convening of the joint session be postponed.
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