news has previously published this article with the title quote from Svein Atle Somby – Sami must be allowed to own Sami areas. But Somby has not said this. However, he is said to have said that he will fight for land rights for the entire population of Karasjok. news apologizes for the misquotation. The article has been corrected 30.10.24 at 0700 During the weekend’s Sámi political conference in Tromsø, the Labor Party’s (Ap) new Sámi parliament president candidate was elected. The choice fell on Karasjok mayor Svein Atle Somby. He has been a campaigner for the entire population of Karasjok to have collective rights to land and water recognised, but it did not go all the way in the Supreme Court. – We lost the property rights, but we will continue to fight in the field court. Then the rights of use will be decided, says Somby. He has nevertheless kept his faith in the case and believes it is not lost. Differences in the Labor Party Some of the biggest issues that separate the Labor Party’s Sami policy from parliamentary policy are electrification of Melkøya in Hammerfest and wind power development in the north. One year ago, the government, with the Labor Party at the forefront, opened the electrification of the gas plant on Melkøya. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visits the Melkøya gas plant. Photo: Allan Klo / news – This will be the largest greenhouse gas cut adopted by a Norwegian government, Labor Party Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told news in the autumn of 2023. It was argued that the electrification of the plant will cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 850,000 tonnes. This is a starting point in the development of renewable energy in Northern Norway, which not even the reindeer herding industry can stop, according to Støre. – We will not progress in developing society if we say that there are some who only say yes, and some who only say no. Then we have to move on and see how we can balance the interests, Støre told VG that autumn. Since then, 11 wind power projects have been put up for consultation in Finnmark. No to wind power and no to electrification The newly elected candidate for the Sámi Parliament presidency in the Sámi political wing of the Labor Party is in complete disagreement with Ap-central. – We are against the electrification of Melkøya and wind power developments in the north, says Somby. He explains that the Sami political Labor Party is a separate governing body, which looks at what kind of needs the Sami have and decides the party program accordingly. – I am not afraid to prioritize Sami political issues that differ from the Labor Party centrally, he says. Svein Atle Somby gets a congratulatory hug from vice-presidential candidate Heidi Greiner Haaker. Photo: Mathias Sommerseth Kjellmo He emphasizes that the Sami need the land and the reindeer herding industry is an important industry for the indigenous people. Something he will fight for. – There is probably no news in where I stand on this matter. I believe there is no need to electrify the Melkeøya plant right now, he says. It is important to spend time, perhaps several years, and think about how this should be done, he believes. – It is also not certain that electrification is the right solution. There are also other solutions and we have to find the best solution, says Somby. The Ap presidential candidate thinks that everything within wind power development and power line construction is also characterized by haste. But Ap-central has a completely opposite policy. – We have to make them stop and make them understand that we have other industries that need these areas. We have plenty of space, but still we don’t have that much space. We have use for all the land we have, says Somby. Room for conflicts of interest The Labor Party’s party secretary Kjersti Stenseng says that their Sami policy must be separate from central policy. – It is an independent programme, so I am concerned that the debate and decisions are as much as possible what the delegates want to get into the programme, says Stenseng. Nevertheless, she points out that there is a greater opportunity to gain traction when Ap-same political matters are similar to matters that are dealt with centrally. Labor party secretary Kjersti Stenseng. Photo: Mathias Sommerseth Kjellmo – It should be high under the roof and room for great disagreement. And then of course it is the case that when you are a member of the Labor Party, you cannot work for policies that are contrary to both our purpose, our values and adopted policy, she says. The party secretary does not hide the fact that there are strong conflicts of interest between Ap central and Sami politics. – This applies not only in Sami areas and in Sami politics, but across the country when it comes to conflicts of interest with building wind power and taking care of nature, says Kjersti Stenseng. Positive for both power development and reindeer husbandry The conference was also attended by Sigurd Kvammen Rafaelsen, who is both a Sámi and a parliamentary representative for Finnmark Ap. A good combination, he believes. Leader in Ap-Finnmark Sigurd Rafaelsen. Photo: Mathias Sommerseth Kjellmo – I think that’s really great, because we have a good policy for Sami areas. He elaborates that Ap politics have led to historic reindeer herding settlements and historic allocations to the Sami Parliament. – I am very proud of that, he says. He is also positive when it comes to power developments and Sami industries. – History shows that in the past we have been able to build out both wind and hydropower and at the same time have had growth in reindeer herding and in the Sami industries. I think we can also achieve that in the future, but we must do it together, says Sigurd Rafaelsen. Published 28.10.2024, at 10.41 Updated 30.10.2024, at 07.09
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