1962 New Caledonian legislative election explained

Legislative elections were held in New Caledonia on 15 April 1962.[1] The result was a victory for the Caledonian Union, which retained its majority in the Assembly.

Background

The Assembly elected in 1958 was dissolved by the Governor Laurent Elisée Péchoux on 9 March after the Caledonian Union (which held a majority of seats) refused to approve the High Commissioner's agenda.[2]

Results

The Caledonian Union retained the 18 seats it won in the 1958 elections. The Entente, an alliance of the Union for the New Republic and some Caledonian Union dissidents won nine seats, whilst the Caledonian Rally was reduced to only three seats.[3]

Elected members

ConstituencyMemberPartyNotes
East (7 seats)Bernard BrouEntenteRe-elected (previously RC)
Michel DevillersCaledonian UnionElected
Kiolet Néa GaletEntenteRe-elected (previously UC)
Guy LeroyCaledonian UnionElected
Émile Wénou NécheroCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Théophile Wakolo PouyéCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Doui Matayo WettaEntenteElected
Islands (5 seats)Gope-Laguise IekawéCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Paul KatreiCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Michel KaumaEntenteRe-elected (previously UC)
Henri NaisselineEntenteRe-elected (previously RC)
Fleury TrongadjoCaledonian UnionElected
South (10 seats)Georges ChatenayEntenteRe-elected (previously RC)
Luc ChevalierCaledonian UnionElected
Evenor de GreslanCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Antoine GriscelliCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Thomas HagenEntenteRe-elected (previously RC)
Henri LafleurCaledonian RallyRe-elected
Armand OhlenCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Kamandji OuamambareCaledonian UnionElected
Rock PidjotCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Albert RapadziCaledonian RallyRe-elected
West (8 seats)Lucien AllardCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Gaston BeloumaCaledonian UnionElected
Marcel BordesCaledonian RallyRe-elected
René HéninEntenteRe-elected (previously RC)
Maurice LenormandCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Edmond NékiriaiEntenteElected
Georges NagleCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Gabriel PaïtaCaledonian UnionRe-elected
Source: Jean Le Borgne,[4] Congress

Aftermath

The newly elected Assembly met for the first time on 26 April. Antoine Griscelli was elected as president of the legislature.[5]

On 6 June 1962, the results in the South constituency were annulled.[6] A by-election was held on 4 November, in which the Caledonian Union won five seats (Luc Chevalier, Evenor de Greslan, Antoine Griscelli, Armand Ohlen and Rock Pidjot), Caledonian Rally three (Berge, Henri Lafleur and Claude Parazols) and the Entente two (Georges Chatenay and Thomas Hagen). This represented a loss of one seat for the Caledonian Union (Kamandji Ouamambare) and gain of one seat for the Caledonian Rally (Berge and Parazols, replacing Albert Rapadzi).

Gaston Belouma resigned from the Assembly on 26 October and was replaced by Thène Fonguimoin Boahoumé-Arhou, who was next on the party's list.[6] Théophile Wakolo Pouyé resigned on 4 December the same year and was replaced by Austien Dalap Touyada.[6] Maurice Lenormand resigned on 21 March 1964 and was replaced by Henri Teambouéon.[6]

Antoine Griscelli died on 22 November 1966 and Paul Katrei on 10 April 1967. Neither were replaced.[6]

Notes and References

  1. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-326526675/view?partId=nla.obj-326582065#page/n24/mode/1up Round the Vicious Circle in N. Caledonia
  2. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-326504689/view?partId=nla.obj-326559854#page/n20/mode/1up Assembly Dissolved: New Caledonian Nickel Trouble
  3. Isabelle Leblic "Chronologie de Kanaky Nouvelle-Calédonie (1774-2018). Version revue et augmentée en 2018 " Journal de la Société des Océanistes, 2018 Volumbe 2, issue 147, pp529–564
  4. Jean Le Borgne (2005) Nouvelle-Calédonie, 1945-1968: la confiance trahie, Harmattan, p308
  5. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-326547030/view?partId=nla.obj-326620984#page/n124/mode/1up New Caledonian Assembly In Fiery Session
  6. https://www.congres.nc/lassemblee/histoire/lassemblee-territoriale/la-composition/ La composition