25 Mar 2011

New Caledonia congress to meet on size of executive

11:21 am on 25 March 2011

New Caledonia's Congress is due to meet today to determine the size of the next collegial government following last week's third government collapse this year.

The meeting will decide the size of the executive, which is to have at least five, but no more than 11 ministers.

The government elected last week fell within minutes because one minister of the Caledonia Together Party quit as part of its campaign to push France into calling fresh general elections.

Next week's scheduled election in the Congress is expected to produce an equally short-lived administration as the Caledonia Together camp is determined to quit the collegial government for a third time.

So far, France has ruled out early general elections.