1 Jun 2018

Fresh rift in group dealing with New Caledonia referendum

7:18 pm on 1 June 2018

There has been a fresh rift in the New Caledonian leadership group dealing with this year's independence referendum.

Right-wing anti-independence politicians have taken issue over who has initiated a consultation over what make up New Caledonia's values shared by all sides.

The consultation was launched by the French High Commission but there is disagreement in the anti-independence camp over who launched it.

The Caledonian Republicans have now quit the group, which had been dubbed G10.

Earlier this year, a split flared over an alleged leak of the proposed referendum date, but calls by the French prime minister Edouard Philippe were heeded for work to resume.

At his behest the group was formed to discuss the referendum's aftermath.