By Kirsty Needham
(Reuters) - The president of New Caledonia's Congress, Roch Wamytan, an indigenous Kanak who had criticised France's handling of civil unrest in the French Pacific territory, has been replaced after narrowly losing a vote to "middle way" candidate Veylma Falaeo.
Wamytan, the first Kanak Congress president and a senior member of the pro-independence FLNKS party, held the position for five years. His 26-28 loss on Thursday, after French loyalist parties backed minor party candidate Falaeo, was a surprise in New Caledonia.
New Caledonia's Congress established in 1999 to govern health, tax, roads, welfare and schools, has 54 councillors who are elected by the population every five years. Councillors vote annually for the president.
In a statement on Friday, the New Caledonia government said Veylma Falaeo of the Ocean Awakening party is the first woman to head the Congress, and had pledged to make reforms that "favour the voice of consensus".
TV station NC La 1'ere reported Falaeo had been supported by anti-independence parties, although her minor party has not previously belonged to the two traditional blocs, and Falaeo said she would push for a "middle way".
"Oceania is not an ethnic group for us, but a way of life, a way of being, a state of mind, and above all, values that echo those of the Republic: respect, equity and solidarity," Falaeo said after the vote, in comments reported by Le Nouvelles Caledoniennes.
France sent hundreds of police to New Caledonia after voting reforms in May, since suspended by French President Emmanuel Macron, sparked protests by pro-independence Kanak groups.
Kanaks, who make up 41% of the population, fear reforms will dilute their vote and make it harder for any future referendum on independence to pass, while Paris says the measure is needed to improve democracy by allowing more residents from France to vote.
Wamytan, who could not be reached for comment, had criticised France's handling of the independence movement. A visit to New Caledonia by Pacific Island leaders was postponed this month after Wamytan also criticised France for seeking to control the scope of the fact-finding mission.
Several French loyalists, including Nicolas Metzdorf, one of two New Caledonia representatives in the French National Assembly, said they wanted Wamytan replaced because he had approved the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Congress and Azerbaijian, a nation fiercely critical of France.
The loyalists also pointed to the arrest and detention in France of Wamytan's chief of staff for suspected links to the riots.
Pro-independence parties say the seven arrested officials including Wamytan's chief of staff are political prisoners, while Wamytan has denied his party has accepted any money from Azerbaijian.