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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Mathurin Derel in Nouméa

‘We need calm’: New Caledonia prepares for France elections as tensions simmer

A pro-independence supporter waves a flag on the side of a road ahead of French parliamentary elections in Nouméa, New Caledonia
A pro-independence supporter waves a flag on the side of a road ahead of French parliamentary elections in Nouméa, New Caledonia. Photograph: Delphine Mayeur/AFP/Getty Images

The unusually long queues to register a proxy vote in New Caledonia suggests turnout will be significantly higher than normal for this weekend’s French election, weeks after months of turmoil that at one point saw deadly riots and the closure of the territory’s international airport.

Among residents of the French Pacific territory, which lies 16,500km from Paris, politics has been a popular topic this week.

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