SYDNEY, June 28 (Reuters) - New Caledonia began long-delayed provincial elections on Sunday, with polling stations in the French-ruled Pacific islands under heavy security to ensure safety, New Zealand public broadcaster RNZ reported.
Some 2,500 police were deployed to secure and monitor polling stations on election day, which commenced at 8 a.m. (2100 GMT Saturday).
The outcome of the elections, delayed since 2024 after New Caledonia was hit by violent unrest between indigenous Kanaks and French loyalists, is said to be key in shaping future talks with France on the territory's status.
Three independence referendums, including the latest in 2021, returned majorities in favour of remaining part of France.
Voters were already queued in a long line outside a polling place at Hotel de Ville in the capital Noumea before the start of voting on Sunday, according to RNZ.
New Caledonia, in the southwest Pacific some 1,500 km (930 miles) east of Australia, is home to around 270,000 people, including 41% Melanesian Kanak and 24% of European origin, mostly French.
Named by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1774, New Caledonia was colonised by France in 1853 and became an overseas territory in 1946. The group of islands has witnessed a decades-long tussle over France's role in its affairs.
(Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by Sonali Paul)
