1972 New Caledonian legislative election

Politics of New Caledonia
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Legislative elections were held in New Caledonia on 10 September 1972. They had originally been scheduled for July, but were postponed by the French government.^[1] Anti-autonomist parties won 18 of the 35 seats, with the previously dominant Caledonian Union reduced from the 22 seats it won in 1967 to only 12.^[2]

Background[]

Prior to the elections, the Caledonian Union (UC) held 12 seats in the 35-member Territorial Assembly, the (a breakaway from the UC) seven, the five, the four, the four, the one, the one and the one.^[1]

Campaign[]

Nine parties contested the elections, with eleven lists running in the South constituency covering Nouméa.^[3][2]

Results[]

Pro-autonomy parties (the Caledonian Union and ) won seventeen seats, with anti-autonomist parties (the , the , , and ) winning eighteen.

Elected members[]

Aftermath[]

Although anti-autonomist parties won a one-seat majority, by early 1973 autonomist parties held 20 of the 35 seats following the defection of three members, including .^[5]

resigned from the Assembly in March 1974 and was replaced by .^[6] Gosse resigned in May 1974 and was replaced by .^[7]

References[]