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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]
Prior to the elections, the Caledonian Union (UC) held 12 seats in the 35-member Territorial Assembly, the Caledonian Liberal Movement (a breakaway from the UC) seven, the Democratic Union five, the Multi-Racial Union four, the Democratic and Social Agreement four, the Association of French Caledonians and Loyalists one, the Civic Union one and the Caledonian Popular Movement one. [1]
Nine parties contested the elections, with eleven lists running in the South constituency covering Nouméa. [3] [2]
Pro-autonomy parties (the Caledonian Union and Multi-Racial Union) won seventeen seats, with anti-autonomist parties (the Democratic and Social Agreement, the Caledonian Liberal Movement, Democratic Union, Caledonian Popular Movement and AICLO) winning eighteen.
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caledonian Union | 12 | –10 | |||
| Democratic and Social Agreement | 6 | New | |||
| Caledonian Liberal Movement | 5 | New | |||
| Multi-Racial Union | 5 | New | |||
| Democratic Union | 4 | New | |||
| Caledonian Popular Movement | 2 | New | |||
| Association of French Caledonians and Loyalists | 1 | New | |||
| Civic Union | 0 | New | |||
| Total | 35 | 0 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 46,349 | – | |||
| Source: Le Borgne, [4] Pacific Islands Monthly | |||||
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 Fredy Gosse. [5]
Georges Chatenay resigned from the Assembly in March 1974 and was replaced by Joseph Tidjine. [6] Gosse resigned in May 1974 and was replaced by Evenor de Greslan. [7]
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