Will this affect the March permit timing"Posted on Wed, Dec. 04, 2002
No Clear Winner in Greenland Elections
JAN M. OLSEN
Associated Press
COPENHAGEN, Denmark - A new political group made a strong showing in Greenland's elections, official results indicated Wednesday, but none of the giant Arctic island's political parties gained enough seats to declare victory.
Party leader Per Berthelsen of the Democrats, the newcomers, campaigned on a platform to solve Greenland's housing shortage, improve its infrastructure and increase educational opportunities for native Inuits. The party took five seats.
It was unclear who would become Greenland's new head of state. Although the governing Siumut Party has split, Premier Jonathan Motzfeldt has not resigned, and may try to form a new government.
The social democratic Siumuts won 10 out of 31 seats in the voting for Landstinget, Greenland's home-rule parliament. They've been in power 23 years.
The left-wing Inuit Ataqatigitt (IA) party, which favors holding a referendum on independence for Greenland from Denmark in 2005, won eight seats. The liberal Atassut party, which is also pro-independence, won five seats, and the tiny populist alliance Katusseqatigiit got one seat.
For the first time since Greenland gained autonomy from Denmark in 1979, the Democratic Party took five seats in the regional body governing the glacial continent. The Danish protectorate is covered by a thick ice cap and an inhabited coast half the size of France.
Democrats' leader Per Berthelsen campaigned on a platform to solve the housing shortage, improve its infrastructure and educational opportunities for native Inuits.
Turnout among Greenland's 38,000 voters was 75 percent, down from 76 percent in 1999's election.
The issue of independence is not new among the island's 56,000 residents. The economy depends heavily on Danish subsidies for two-thirds of its income. Denmark gave Greenland $373 million last year. The rest comes from fisheries.
Most top jobs in the administration, health and education sectors are held by Danes, prompting claims that Denmark is still in control despite the home-rule.
When the island gained autonomy, Denmark retained responsibility for foreign and defense policy and for the law-enforcement system. Local politicians have sought more control over their own affairs ever since."
From what I could find, the current government is a coalition between the Siumut (forward, social democratic, a moderate socialist party that advocates more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark) and the Atassut party (feeling of community, liberal, Solidarity, a more conservative party that favors continuing close relations with Denmark). How this influences mining permitting is unknown but hopefully is good for Crew and us, since the Siumut party has been in power for quite some time and presumably were willing to give us a permit prior to the election. FWIW
Cheers,
Oxyurid