Independence leaders in New Caledonia have reacted with caution to the French government's decision to scrap a constitutional amendment on voting rights, with some fearing it's a tactical delay that sidesteps the deeper issue of the Pacific territory's political autonomy.
A constitutional amendment that would extend voting rights to tens of thousands of long-term French residents in New Caledonia ignited five months of violent protests – leading to multiple deaths, mass unemployment and over a billion euros in damages.
