27 Apr 2011

Caledonia Together ponders direction after setbacks

12:57 pm on 27 April 2011

The Caledonia Together Party has held an extraordinary meeting after its recent political setbacks and is now poised to focus on the elections of the territory's two members of the French senate.

According to the local newspaper, the party's leader, Philippe Gomes, continues to challenge his political rivals decision to no longer want a new flag.

He has told the paper that opting for the joint use of the Kanak and French flags is a source of division.

The party quit the caretaker collegial government at the beginning of the month over the flag dispute, thereby bringing down the government for a third time in a month.

The resignations failed to prompt Paris to call fresh general elections and the French government is now in the process of amending the electoral law.

The Caledonia Together Party is yet to say whether it will now rejoin the collegial government.

It says it will in the meantime focus on exerting its influence in the lead-up to the senatorial election which is not open to a general vote but will be decided by a body made up of elected leaders.