21 Feb 2011

Discussions ahead of New Caledonian government election

5:38 am on 21 February 2011

The pro-independence Caledonian Union is to meet this afternoon to discuss their approach to next week's election of a new New Caledonian government.

Last week, the party brought down the territory's two-year old government when its three ministers pulled out of the collegial government, led by Philippe Gomes.

The party objected to Mr Gomes refusing to support a recent agreement by the signatories of the 1998 Noumea Accord for the territory's public buildings to fly both the French and the Kanka flags.

A meeting of the Congress is to be held on Friday for it to decide the size of the next executive, which is to have at least five but no more than 11 ministers.

Its election is then to be held in the Congress on March the 3rd.

Mr Gomes, however, has vowed to pull out of the next government the moment it's formed as part of his bid to prompt France to dissolve the Congress and call general elections three years early.