The French government has appointed a new high commissioner to New Caledonia.
It has chosen Vincent Bouvier as replacement for Jean-Jacques Brot who resigned at the weekend during the French overseas minister's visit to Noumea.
He reportedly quit because he disagreed with the government strategy in handling the decolonisation process as outlined in the Noumea Accord.
However, the prime minister Manuel Valls has told parliamentarians in Paris that his resignation had nothing to do with government policy.
The opposition UMP has been critical of Mr Valls' choice last week of two experts to be sent to New Caledonia, but the prime minister says the two have contibuted to the peace process in New Caledonia.
