– This is another signal that goes in the direction that one should consider whether it is appropriate for the Labor Party to be in government with the Center Party, says Kristiansand mayor Jan Oddvar Skisland. The leading elected representative in the country’s sixth largest municipality has had enough. – It is clear that this has been such an important issue for the Center Party that they have almost issued an ultimatum to get it through. Then I think, it is right of the Labor Party to be in government with a party that is holding on, in that way, says Skisland. On Tuesday morning, the mayor was formally informed that Søgne and Songdalen will have their referendums on divorce. In 2020, Kristiansand, Søgne and Songdalen were merged into one large municipality. The opposition has been particularly strong in Søgne. – We know that the Center Party has pressed very hard, and I can not understand in relation to local democracy that this is the right way to do it. I am surprised that the Labor Party allows itself to be pressured, but it is clear that it has been so important for the Center Party that they have almost issued an ultimatum to get this through. Promises to listen The Ministry of Local Government and District Affairs confirms that a process will now be started to investigate the division of the new Kristiansand municipality. Referendums will be held in 2023. A division can take place from 2028. – If more than half vote for division in Søgne and Songdalen, respectively, the government will listen to it. This is what Minister of Local Government and District Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp) says. The background is that residents in the former Søgne and Songdalen municipalities have promoted citizens’ initiatives. – The opposition to the forced merger was great among people in Søgne and Songdalen, and citizens’ initiatives and surveys show that the opposition is still great. We will listen to that. We are now starting the process by giving this task to the state administrator, says Gjelsvik. OPENING: Minister of Local Government Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp) promises referendums in Søgne and Songdalen in connection with the municipal elections in 2023. Photo: Kristoffer Steffensen Lenes / news Promised possible secession Søgne was cited as an example when Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp) in the last party leader debate before the Storting election 2021 promised that forcibly merged municipalities could secede as soon as Sp came to power. – Here we give people the opportunity to have their say. If people in Søgne want to be part of Kristiansand or people in Songdalen want not to be then it is people locally who should have their say, says Vedum. But the Labor Party did not want to go that far. Thus, it was not the SP position that won out in the new government platform. Should the merger be reversed, there would have to be a majority for this in the city council. Many in Søgne were disappointed. Stopped in 2021 On 1 December 2021, the city council in Kristiansand decided to stop the process of dissolving Søgne and Songdalen from the merged Kristiansand municipality. The decision was made by 39 to 32 votes. Labor Party mayor Jan Oddvar Skisland was then pleased that they had made up their minds. He admitted that it had been a difficult case. The action group, which had long worked for the secession of Søgne, was determined to continue fighting. In the New Year, they also went from door to door to collect signatures. – A breach of trust Kristiansand Labor Party has been critical of tearing up the large municipality again and has hoped that the case would calm down. In the press release on Tuesday, the local team writes that the process that is now being started – with the opening for local referendums – is “against our will and without our knowledge”. – This process has been run without the local party being involved, and we perceive this as a major breach of trust and a breach of the Hurdal platform, says Mayor Skisland. The local party does not want a reversal of the municipal reform. – We are sincerely concerned about what this will mean for our employees and services. We are very critical of how the government has behaved in connection with this case, the press release states.
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Now there will be a referendum in Søgne – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
