The World : Caledonia Control Voted

The French National Assembly passed an election law for the troubled South Pacific territory of New Caledonia, giving native Melanesians a majority in a new territorial assembly even though they are a minority of the population. The powerful lower house overrode a vote by the conservative-controlled French Senate, which had favored domination of the territorial legislature by European, Asian and Polynesian settlers. New Caledonia, an archipelago northeast of Australia, has been torn by strife between the Melanesians--known as Kanaks--who want independence, and the settlers, who wish to maintain ties with France.