of respect for their dead and demanded that the referendum be postponedbut profrance groups insisted the vote should take place as scheduled to end uncertainty over new caledonias future and to boost its economic prospects proindependence activists announced they would refuse to take part accusing the government in paris of imposing the referendum date and violating neutrality by publishing a document seen as casting the consequences of independence in a negative lightfrance is trying to cement its presence in the indopacific region after it lost a multibilliondollar submarine contract because of a partnership australia formed with the united states and the uk the secretly negotiated submarine project announced in september and aimed at countering chinese ambitions in the region was a huge blow to france new caledonia hosts one of two french military bases in the pacificthe un has supported new caledonias decolonization process and sent electoral observers to monitor sundays vote the pacific islands forum also sent a delegation to observe the vote