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Martinique rejects more autonomy

Posted by CaribShout on January 12, 2010 at 7:37pm

Two French overseas territories in the Caribbean have confirmed what some residents say is a reluctance to remove themselves from Paris. Both Martinique and French Guiana have rejected plans for increased autonomy. Full independence wasn't even on the cards in Sunday's referendums. With a 48% turnout, 69.8% in French Guiana voted against the proposal on Sunday. In Martinique, the margin was greater: 80% voted against, with a 55% turnout. The votes come a year after violence hit French Caribbean territories, in protests over low wages. French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed holding the referendums after visiting Martinique in June. Financial backing Voters were asked whether they wanted local government to be given more powers, a change that would make the departments more like autonomous French territories, including New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean. The two territories have been departments - giving them the same political status as mainland France - for more than 60 years, and receive considerable financial support from central government. Strikers in Guadeloupe

The vote was offered after strikes in the French Caribbean last year One voter in Martinique questioned whether the country could cope politically with more autonomy. "I would like a change, but I don't think we are ready yet. I don't trust the people who lead the regional council, " Jacqueline Manger told the Associated Press news agency. "I was surprised by the size of the result but not by the trend," said Marcellin Nadeau a local mayor who had backed the "yes" vote in the referendum. "There were those who did not answer the question and who saw it as 'Do you want independence?' and who voted No," said Patrick Karam, a government official responsible for overseeing equality issues in the overseas territories. "Then there were those...who asked 'What will happen to our social benefits in future?'" he told France Info radio. Importance Martinique Senator Claude Lise, who had backed a 'yes' vote, said "this was a vote of panic." He said: "Martinique and Guiana have missed a major turn in their history and scuttled a proposed reform that could have helped them build their future." President Sarkozy has been quoted by the AFP news agency as saying the vote reflected the importance the Guianese and Martinique people attached to their ties with France. Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux and Overseas Secretary of State Marie-Luce Penchard argued that the results showed that voters wanted to "close the debate" on increased autonomy "for a long time". The Socialist Party's Axel Urgin however expressed the view that the government had created "uncertainty" for voters. Guadeloupe, another French department in the Caribbean, is also due to hold a referendum on the same issue, but officials say that regional elections in March should be held first.
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