France will plough ahead with plans to give Corsica limited autonomy despite calls to suspend them after the murder of a nationalist leader on the troubled Mediterranean island, the interior minister said.
On the island itself, fears of reprisal killings mounted ahead of the funeral on Sunday of Francois Santoni, one of Corsica's most prominent separatists.
French President Jacques Chirac and Premier Lionel Jospin have kept silent since Mr Santoni was shot dead after a wedding in the early hours of Friday.
But Interior Minister Daniel Vaillant said in a statement on Friday that the only path forward for Corsica was to pursue the so-called Matignon process begun 18 months ago.
A first phase due to come into force next year would give Corsica's assembly limited rights to pass laws and allow the Corsican language to be taught in schools. The plan includes provisions to change the French-ruled island's status by 2004.
Socialist deputy Bruno Le Roux, orchestrator of the planned changes in national parliament, said there could be no turning back. For the first time in 30 years we have in this process something solid. We have to go all the way, he said.
Mr Santoni, 41, was the former general secretary of Cuncolta Naziunalista, the legal political party affiliated to the outlawed guerrilla group Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) Historic Wing.