| Summary/Abstract |
Since 1988, New Caledonia, a sui generis French territory in the Pacific, has experienced increasing autonomy in preparation for a vote on full sovereignty. Beginning in 2018, a series of up to three referenda will determine the future of this archipelago. Although New Caledonians have benefited from ongoing association with France and indigenous Kanak have garnered greater political representation, significant inequalities among ethnic communities persist. Pro-independence Kanak nationalists push for greater political control through a frozen referendum electorate to rebalance indigenous power lost during colonization. At the same time, anti-independence loyalists resent some of the special rights gained by the Kanak because of the decolonization process. The ability and right to express self-determination by voting on the upcoming referendum on sovereignty and defining a new citizenship is intimately tied to issues of inequality and the independence debate. Building on the conceptual framework associated with islandian sovereignty, this paper examines how the rebalancing discourse is a product of internal inequalities that challenge the benefits of subnational island jurisdiction (SNIJ) status. A closer examination of political narratives surrounding the sovereignty debate offers insight into how New Caledonian politicians are using electoral categories, voter eligibility and citizenship to rebalance inequalities.
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