On Friday, the National Board of the Industrial and Business Party (INP) gathered. Ahead of the meeting, there have been clear conflicts within the party and much has revolved around the party’s leader, Owe Ingemann Waltherzøe. Yesterday’s meeting still in full contention when Waltherzøe, two central board members and the national board delegates from Trøndelag, Troms, Finnmark and Telemark left the meeting. According to a press release from the party, they left the meeting because they do not recognize the legitimacy of either the National Council or the meeting they had called. Calling for an extraordinary national meeting in March The rest of the National Board meeting chose to continue the proceedings on Friday evening and have now decided that an extraordinary National Board meeting will be held in March. The national board meeting comes with strong criticism of leader Owe Waltherzøe and in the press release it is stated that it is not in accordance with the party’s values to maintain trust in persons with positions in governing bodies, if these do not recognize the party’s defined and constituted bodies. Deputy leader of the INP, Joar Nesse, tells news that the party leader should not have wanted to recognize the legitimacy of the national board. – I am very disappointed that the party leader does not want to have a dialogue with us. We must have democratic values in the party, not that one person decides everything, says Nesse to news. Nesse will not answer specifically whether he has confidence in the party leader. – So the party leader has been elected until 2026, and that’s what I’m dealing with. It is clear that I am very disappointed when the party leader does not want to have that dialogue and try to get us out of it together. – Break with the statutes Waltherzøe on his part tells news that he had no other choice but to leave the meeting. – I had to leave in order not to be involved in giving the meeting legitimacy. He believes that the meeting breaks with the bylaws that have been adopted in the party and that they moved away from an arrangement with a national board meeting in 2022. Why there have been very different opinions about which meeting body there should be in the party, Waltherzøe does not want to speculate. – What will What do you as party leader do to create peace in the party? – First we have to have a central board meeting where we have to have a proper washing up, or at least a proper good talk and try to get things to land. Warns of consequences The National Executive meeting is clear in its statement that the behavior of the party leader and the others who left the meeting must have consequences. Nesse will not elaborate on what the consequences are in that case. – Consequences may have to be looked at by others as well. After all, I have never seen a party leader walk out of a meeting, and in any case not a national board meeting. So there will be a split between the party leader and those who remain then. So we have to discuss the way forward for the party.
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Full strife in the Industrial Party – party leader left the National Board meeting
