– It will attract national attention. I also think Rødt’s electorate will react, says editor of Trønderdebatt, Snorre Valen. It was he who was first able to reveal that the controversial politician Per-Gunnar Skotåm tops the county council list in the proposal from the nomination committee for Rødt i Nordland. Something Skotåm himself confirms. – I was asked to be among the top five on the list. In the proposal from the nomination committee, I am nominated in first place. It is a trust that I am grateful for and accept, says Skotåm to news Knowing that there may be a fuss about the nomination. Conspiracy theories and Russian propaganda In April, Skotåm resigned from the national board and international committee in Rødt. The background was his role as part owner and chairman of the company Mot Dag AS, which owns the website Steigan.no. The website has, among other things, been criticized by several media outlets for reproducing Russian war propaganda, conspiracy theories and racism. Pål Steigan is the man behind the website and calls himself editor-in-chief. Steigan is a former chairman of the AKP (ml) and a well-known public debater on far-left Norwegian politics. He is also a friend of Per-Gunnar Skotåm. Per-Gunnar Skotåm does not want to enter into a debate with Red Youth. – They express their views on the nomination. It is a natural part of the organizational processing of the nomination committee’s proposal for the county council list. Photo: Bente H. Johansen / news Despite the row this spring, Skotåm chose to stand by Steigan’s side. – I do not leave a comrade in a fight, he said to news – and insisted on continuing as both a local politician in Fauske and group leader for Rødt Nordland in the county council – despite all the internal criticism. In the past, Rødt’s national board has distanced itself from Steigan.no. Rød Ungdom wants to have a settlement with elected officials in the party who are connected to the website. Red Youth in Nordland is clear about what they think about a possible nomination of Skotåm at the top of the county council list. In a Facebook post, the youth party writes the following: In the post, signed by leader Jorid Torgnes Kristensen, it is further stated that the youth party believes the list proposal is unacceptable. Kristensen will not elaborate on the criticism of news. Per-Gunnar Skotåm himself has not seen what Rød Ungdom has written on Facebook. – But I am aware that they have spoken out, he says. – It is important to remember that this is a proposal that is subject to consultation. Both Rød Ungdom and others have the opportunity to express their views, and they have done so. But that doesn’t mean I’ve reconsidered my yes. I thank you for your trust and stand by it for so long. Then it is up to the organization to decide where they want to use me. Skotåm himself feels that he has the support of several people in the party. – That doesn’t apply to everyone, but relatively many I think do a useful job as a Red politician. There was some turbulence around my board position in Mot Dag this spring. Then there were several people in Rødt Nordland who reacted to the stigmatizing treatment I was exposed to. – Why do you choose to continue, despite the unrest that has been there? – I’m not one to walk away. I believe that part of the criticism is wrong. In that regard, I do not intend to walk away. If they want me, I want to fulfill that trust. The head of the nomination committee for Rødt i Nordland, Elisabeth Agnete Olsen, does not wish to comment on the matter. Snorre Valen in Trønderdebatt believes there are more people than the youth party and the party leadership who will react if Skotåm is nominated again. Will raise awareness – Considerable work is taking place and has taken place to weed out elements of conspiracy theories and propaganda in Rødt. It will be difficult for them to continue with that when they nominate the chairman of Steigan in first place in an important county for the party, says the editor in Trønderdebatt. He believes that the nomination could become a political battle that is about much more than Red in Nordland. – A nomination of Pål-Gunnar Skotåm could lead to a political battle that concerns the entire Rødt and the left’s relationship to a number of problematic issues, believes Snorre Valen. Photo: Klara Skovro Thoresen – Especially after the pandemic and the outbreak of war in Ukraine, it has become obvious to the vast majority of people that Steigan.no is a blog that spreads problematic conspiracy theories. A renomination of Skotåm could lead to a political battle that concerns the entire Red Party and the left’s relationship to a number of problematic issues. Political commentator Stein Sneve in Avisa Nordland also believes the party will bleed voters if Skotåm is allowed to retain the top post. – Popular politician At the same time, it shows a county party that is out of step, both with the parent party and the party’s youth, according to Sneve. – The reason why it still happens is that Skotåm is known as a skilled and knowledgeable politician. He has a long history in the party and has put in a solid effort for Rødt over many years, says Sneve. – Pål-Gunnar Skotåm’s close connection to the blog Steigan.no and his inability to properly distance himself from what is presented here means that he is completely out of step with what I would argue are Rødt’s voters in Nordland, says Stein Sneve. Photo: Kåre Riibe Ramskjell / news Correction: news linked in a previous case to steigan.no about conspiracy theories related to the covid-19 vaccine. news has chosen to remove the link as the claim has been fax checked and disproved.
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Red top Per-Gunnar Skotåm can be re-elected – Red Youth threatens to riot – news Nordland
