Noumea - New Caledonians have voted by a wide margin to put their nickel-rich Pacific island on the road to autonomy from France, officials in the capital, Noumea, and in Paris announced yesterday. "I am delighted that the population of New Caledonia has chosen the path of consensus and responsibility in preparing for its future," the French President, Mr Jacques Chirac, said in a statement issued by his Elysee presidential palace, welcoming approval of the referendum question.
According to unofficial final results, the approval vote was 71.9 per cent versus 28.1 per cent opposed, with more than 74 per cent of the territory's 106,000 registered voters participating.