Greenland parliamentary election - November 28, 2014

[politicus]

Greenland will be holding an early election on November 28 after its government has collapsed. The Inatsisartut has 31 members elected using the open list version of PR with the country as one large constituency.

The following 6 parties will compete:

Main adversaries:

IA (Inuit Community) is the old Inuit nationalist and socialist party founded by radical students in the 70s, but is now a moderate Social Democratic party with focus on achieving independence through a stronger economy and better education. It is the choice of most of the well educated urban elite and is fairly green. Ruled Greenland 2009-2013 in alliance with the Democrats.

Siumut (Forward) is a the party of power, which has ruled Greenland 1979-2009 and 2013-14. Its nominally Social Democratic, but pragmatic and populist. Supported by strong clientilistic networks and dominant in the settlements and (most) small towns in Western Greenland.

Small parties

Atassut (officially translated as Solidarity, but literally "the link") is the old liberal and unionist party, which is now mainly supported by elderly people after they dropped most of their ideological profile and became the junior partner of their old rivals in Siumut. Still more pro-private business than Siumut.

Naleraq (Indicator) is a splinter party from Siumut founded by former PM Hans Enoksen, who was a settlement store keeper before entering politics - and is fiercely proud of not speaking Danish. "Inuit-populist", anti-urban and anti-elitist.

Inuit Party is a small nationalist, anti-Danish left wing party founded by people who thought IA had gone soft and skipped their original ideals.

The Democrats is a social liberal party focused on liberalising, privatising and modernising the economy, which they claim is the basis for eliminating poverty. Supported by affluent young and youngish Greenlanders in the towns and most Danes. Fairly unionist.

[Harry Hayfield]

I don't want to be seen as criticising the people of Greenland but on November 28th 2014 but according to Geoclock (a computer programme that shows global times) the sun never rises over the town of Thule or Scoresbysund, there is only 4 hours of daylight in Sondre Stromfjord and Ammasalik and there is only 6 hours of daylight in Nuuk. They can't run a general election in those conditions surely!

[politicus]

I don't want to be seen as criticising the people of Greenland but on November 28th 2014 but according to Geoclock (a computer programme that shows global times) the sun never rises over the town of Thule or Scoresbysund, there is only 4 hours of daylight in Sondre Stromfjord and Ammasalik and there is only 6 hours of daylight in Nuuk. They can't run a general election in those conditions surely!

Sure they can, its not like the country shuts down during the dark period - they do have electric light! Plus even though the sun sinks below the horizon its still fairly light during the hours when its just below horizon, not pitch black.

[Qavvavak]

lol, in Grise Fiord ans Resolute has short daylight only 3-5 hours in Nunavut election day 8 am to 9 pm

btw qujanaq (thank u) for the post this

[Vega]

Out of curiosity, how is turnout in Greenland?

[politicus]

Out of curiosity, how is turnout in Greenland?

74,2% last time.

[Vosem]

You can have a First World country in the darkness.

[politicus]

Siumut's MP in the Folketing Doris Jakobsen (35) has declared her candidacy for the party chairmanship running on a program to unite the two big parties - citing that the two parties have similar values, goals and aspirations (which is true, but their approach to politics is fundamentally different - since Siumut is populist, tactical and clientilistic and IA rationalistic, strategic, and ideological).

After first backing Hammond and trivializing the affair and then turning around and demanding her resignation the next day Jakobsen is seen as a turncoat by many, so I doubt she will be successful.

EDIT: The independent auditors inquiry into government abuse of funds (also going back to the former government) has been stopped, since the Audit Committee responsible for overseeing this has been dissolved. Hammond has tried to accuse IA of wanting to cover up their own abuse by stopping the investigation, but IA and Atassut has denied this and say the inquiry will proceed after the election.

[politicus]

Acting PM Kim Kielsen is now also running for the Siumut leadership, emphasizing traditional Siumut virtues like solidarity and equal development in all parts of the country. Claims he has broad support among local party chapters across the country (which is likely true).

[Qavvavak]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/greenland-calls-election-over-20k-spending-scandal-1.2785300r

[politicus]

Fixed the link:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/greenland-calls-election-over-20k-spending-scandal-1.2785300

The Arctic Journal has this and a few other pieces about different aspects. They will likely be the English language media with the best coverage.

http://arcticjournal.com/politics/1053/polls

[politicus]

At bit about Greenland's  current situation:

Hammond and Siumut have tried to develop a platform for independence by opening up for big mining projects and oil exploration, but no projects have been realised so far - even though a few mining operations are under way - and no oil has been found. Scottish Cairn Oil that is one of the major players has even giving up its exploration for this year.

Greenland's  economy is in poor shape and is challenged by three factors:

1) The population is getting older. Greenland's  population exploded in  the 1950s after the eradication of tuberculosis, which had been the big killer beforehand, and for the first time the country will have a huge generation of  pensioners.

2) The Danish state grant of 3,7 billion kroner (roughly 650 million $) a year is losing purchasing power. According to the autonomy agreement of 2009 it remains fixed at the same level adjusted for Danish inflation rate, which is much lower than the Greenlandic. So since 2009 its value has decreased from 29% of Greenland's  GDP to 26%.

3) Shrimp fishery, which is the most commercially important, is declining.

So without the expected oil and mineral boom and with increased expenses to pensions and healthcare Greenland faces some very though choices.

EDIT: A new report from Greenlands Institute of Nature in cooperation with international marine biologists recommends cutting the annual shrimp quota in Western Greenland from 85.000 tons (5.000 more than biologists recommended) to 60.000 tons next year to retain sustainability and reproduction. A 30% cut of Greenlands biggest export article would really hurt, so that's bad news.

[politicus]

Siumut's extraordinary convention to elect a new chairman will be held on October 18, so a little more than two weeks to go - not enough for the candidates to visit all important local chapters. They will "try" to get delegates from the whole country, but with all the money they have had to repay, that might be hard, since travelling is quite expensive in Greenland.

[politicus]

A bit more about Greenlands economy and what makes it difficult for them to achieve independence.

1. Public spending is very high compared to production. It amount to ca. 75% of GDP compared to ca. 50% in most Western countries.

2. Taxation is relatively low compared to many other developed countries (especially considered the amount of public welfare spending). Around a third of the value of production compared to 50% in most Western countries. A lot of costs are higher in Greenland (energy, transport etc.) and they have the same effect as taxes for the individual consumers, so you cant just introduce fx VAT, since it would lead to malnourishment and unacceptably bad living conditions for the poor. Still rich Greenlanders (incl. Danish business owners and the political and bureaucratic elite) get off cheap compared to Scandinavia.

3. The educational level is low, so you only have relatively few people in highly productive jobs, which leads to low income generation.

4. The private sector is relatively small, so private employment is low - roughly half of over all employment compared to 2/3 in Denmark.

5. The income distribution is uneven, they have a gini coefficient like the US despite high taxation and a big welfare state. It reflects the low level of education and people working in low productive sectors (like hunting and small scale fishing) and many being underemployed.

6. The population is spread thinly over a giant area and the standard of living is low in the settlements. Concentration would lead to lower expenditures and a higher taxation base - since there are more jobs in the towns, still some towns, especially Nuuk, is filled with administrative jobs and little productions and some settlements, especially in the north, are very productive, so its a mixed picture.

[Qavvavak]

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674protests_force_greenlands_premier_out_of_office/

[Famous Mortimer]

"As for Greenland, the last great empty space in the western hemisphere, the huge island should remain permanently within the US defence perimeter, and eventually be formally annexed by the US."

 - Pat Buchanan

[politicus]

"As for Greenland, the last great empty space in the western hemisphere, the huge island should remain permanently within the US defence perimeter, and eventually be formally annexed by the US."

 - Pat Buchanan

Pure trolling or is there a point?

[Famous Mortimer]

It's just a funny quote re:Greenland's suitability for independence.

Chill.

[politicus]

Chill.

It's just a funny quote re:Greenland's suitability for independence.

[politicus]

IA wants a referendum about the permission to allow uranium mining if they win the election.

The last poll in mid September gave the anti-uranium parties 15 seats (14 IA and 1 Naleraq) out of 31, but with Siumuts troubles this number has likely increased, so it's not unrealistic to get a najority behind this.

A "no" to uranium mining, only a year after it was allowed, could jeopardize Greenland's reputation as a stable partner for mining companies so it's risky, but uranium mining is unpopular among large segments in the population. Another problem is that IA's normal partner the Democrats are pro-uranium exploration and it's not realistic for IA to replace them with undependable and populist Naleraq.

[politicus]

Acting chairman of Siumut and Mayor of Kujalleq (= Southern Greenland) Jørgen Wæver Johansen has declared that he isn't going to run for the chairmanship and supports Kim Kielsen, who now looks unbeatable.

Probably wise of JWJ, since he has previously been involved in favouritism (sale of public real estate to politicians and top civil servants at rock bottom prices) and would likely be toxic in the present political climate.

[politicus]

Former Minister of Education and Culture Nick Nielsen, who played a role in Hammond's downfall by leaving the government in protest, has declared his candidacy for Siumut chairman before the extraordinary party conference on Saturday.

He is running on a platform of "letting the free market forces roam free" and privatize Greenland's many publicly owned companies, which is very unusual for a Siumut politician. He hopes a free market approach will attract the necessary capital to develop Greenland's infrastructure with better harbours and two new international airports in Ilulissat and Nuuk to increase tourism among other things. Also in favour of a decentralized freight structure and better Greenlandic education for immigrants and Danish-speakers.

It is uncertain how much support he has. He only got 100 votes in 2013 and didn't enter parliament, but after Hammond brought him into her cabinet he has gotten a lot of  media exposure and his principled stand against Hammond's abuse has given him some popularity as well.

Nielsen will likely be seen as a traitor by the old guard for jumping ship before the government fell and his neo-liberal approach will turn off many traditionalists, but he is probably trying to appeal to dissatisfied younger members.

[politicus]

Yesterday Siumut chairmanship candidate Nick Nielsen reopened one of the biggest sores in Greenlandic politics when he announced the need for a national debate on Greenland's relationship with the EU, arguing that membership would be essential for the possibility of establishing an independent Greenland.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Could they join NAFTA or EFTA instead?

[politicus]

Could they join NAFTA or EFTA instead?

Not NAFTA, since it would mean the Realm of Denmark being divided between two trade areas, but maybe EFTA since it is mostly EU light these days, but they already have a trade agreement with EU, so EFTA wouldn't really be much of an advantage in terms of access to the common market.

EDIT: Article 56 of the EFTA Convention specifies that EFTA is only for sovereign states. The Faroe Islands tried to join in 2005/06 backed by Iceland, but was turned down because they weren't an independent country.