Changing of the guard again: Gomes loses office in Noumea

New Caledonia's government has been disrupted by political upheavals in Noumea, with President Philippe Gomes losing office after less than two years in the job. A long-running dispute between government ministers led to a parliamentary turmoil in March and April, with three governments collapsing by ministerial resignations within minutes of being elected. Former President and Speaker of Congress Harold Martin was elected on 3 March to replace Gomes as President of the Government of New Caledonia. Gomes' call for new Congressional elections to resolve the crisis also misfired, with the French government refusing to back his call. In separate elections to replace Martin as head of Congress, long-time independence leader Roch Wamytan won the vote, the first FLNKS politician to hold this office in over thirty years. Events in Noumea are moving fast, and further changes may happen before this edition hits the newsstands. But the debate over New Caledonia's flag--the focus of Islands Business' cover story last November--has escalated to bring down a President. For opponents of independence, the blue, white and red French tricolour is the symbol of France's presence in the South Pacific. For members of the FLNKS independence coalition, the flag of Kanaky (first raised by the late Jean-Marie Tjibaou in 1984) is the icon of their struggle for self-determination. The decision last year to fly both flags outside the French High Commission, town halls and other public buildings has caused ongoing debate