Corsica's assembly has voted to seek autonomy

In a joint radio and television interview, Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin said he planned to visit Corsica next Monday to put forward proposals for decentralising power.

He said he hoped the people of the island would be able to vote on them in a referendum before the end of June.

He has indicated that the proposals are linked to a plan for decentralisation in France in general.

A controversial attempt by France's former left-wing government to give Corsica greater autonomy was declared unconstitutional by the country's highest court.

But in March, the French parliament approved constitutional amendments by which the country's 22 regions and 96 departments can choose greater autonomy.

Corsica's own assembly voted at the end of February to seek autonomy.

Moves to grant Corsica some level of autonomy have been prompted by decades of low-level violence by separatist militants.

Last October, 14 bombs exploded across the island ahead of a visit by Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.