New Caledonia election tests territory's future after unrest and deadlock

New Caledonia holds elections this Sunday in a pivotal test of the Pacific territory's future. At the heart of the vote is the question of independence from France—an issue that has deeply divided the island community. The election comes peacefully, a marked contrast to two years ago, when plans to expand voting rights to non-Indigenous residents sparked deadly unrest that forced authorities to postpone voting. According to France 24, the territory is attempting to move past that period of turmoil and allow its fractured population to weigh in on its political direction.

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