Movement for Diversity explained

Movement for Diversity
Native Name:Mouvement de la diversité
Colorcode:
  1. 0095D9
Leader:Simon Loueckhote
Foundation:March 28, 2013
Position:Centre-right
Regional:Les Loyalistes
Colours:Blue
Headquarters:34, rue Gallieni - Centre Ville, 98800 Nouméa
Country:New Caledonia
Seats1 Title:Seats in the Congress
Seats2 Title:Seats in the South Province
Seats3 Title:Seats in the North Province

The Movement for Diversity (French: Mouvement de la diversité, LMD) is a right-wing political party in New Caledonia, strongly supportive of the French status of the region; it is close to the French Union for a Popular Movement.

History

Jacques Lafleur, the former leader of the major loyalist Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (RPCR) left the RPCR in 2006 to found the Rally for Caledonia (RPC). The island's sole Senator, the anti-independence Kanak Simon Loueckhote joined the RPC in 2006, but in 2008, he left the party following a series of electoral defeats to form the Movement for Diversity, the LMD.

Loueckhote is strongly opposed to New Caledonia's independence from France. Loueckhote is a Kanak.

In the 2009 election, the LMD allied with the centrist Future Together list in the South Province, which won 16.33% in the province and two members of the LMD were elected, including Loueckhote. As a result, Loueckhote was eligible to sit in the Congress of New Caledonia. In the Loyalty Islands Province, the LMD ran independently and won only 3.6%, below the 5% threshold for seats.