Paris, 12 December 2021 (dpa/MIA) - The French overseas territory of New Caledonia again voted against independence from France in the third and, for the time being, last referendum on self-determination on Sunday. Some 96.5 per cent of the votes were cast in favour of remaining with France, according to the provisional final result, as reported by the broadcaster La1ere Nouvelle Caledonie. Voter turnout in the archipelago in the South Pacific dropped significantly to just 44 per cent. In the previous elections in 2018 and 2020, turnout was over 80 per cent. Some 185,000 voters were eligible to cast their ballots on whether the South Pacific island, located about 1,200 kilometres east of Australia, should be independent from France. Pro-independence leaders were unsuccessful in appealing to France's highest administrative court to postpone Sunday's vote given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Critics had called on voters to boycott the election. The Noumea Agreement of 1998 allowed for up to three referendums on the issue. The Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat (MSG) has called on member states to not recognize the result. In a statement, MSG director general George Hoa'au said the situation in New Caledonia was not conducive for a free and fair referendum. New Caledonia had seen few Covid-19 cases until the Delta variant was detected in September. Since then, nearly 300 people have died, many of them in the indigenous Kanak community. Hoa'au said the Kanak people and the Melanesian communities are still undergoing customary mourning ceremonies. "The international community must understand that customary and traditional ceremonies relating to the passing away of loved ones are the most sacred in Melanesian societies and religiously must be respected." He said indigenous people are unable to "participate freely and meaningfully, without fear and intimidation" in the referendum, and called on France to postpone the vote until 2022. France flew in almost 250 magistrates and judicial officials and about 2,000 extra police to oversee Sunday's vote.