– I think that Moxnes should step down immediately, says the municipal council representative for Raudt Sømna in Nordland, Viktor Stein, to news. He believes the party is breaking its own statutes by retaining support for party leader Bjørnar Moxnes. – Trust is not something that a party leadership can only adopt, believes Stein. Reacting to answers County leader Kjell Oldeide in Raudt Sogn og Fjordane stated on Sunday that the party must now engage further in the case. – I think it is natural that the national board, as the party’s highest body, discusses and concludes in this matter, Oldeide told news yesterday. But in a comment to news on Sunday, Raudt’s party secretary Reidar Strisland said that there is no basis for taking the initiative for such a meeting. Stein reacts to that. – I have sent a message to the party secretary, Reidar Strisland. I believe that the matter must be discussed in the national board first, before the party expresses that they still have confidence in Moxnes. Party secretary Reidar Strisland replies that he understands that there are different opinions within the party, but claims that there has been no basis for holding an emergency meeting. – Yesterday I contacted the national board to find out if there was a desire for an emergency meeting, and there was not. Everyone who has spoken out in the national board has confidence in Bjørnar. I am happy with our national board representatives, and have nothing against meetings, but right now there is no reason to meet. – Should the situation change, I am completely open to gathering the national board, replies Strisland. – Undemocratic Moxnes has been in trouble after he was caught taking a pair of Hugo Boss sunglasses at Gardermoen two weeks ago. On Saturday, he met the press to apologize for what happened both to party members and others. Throughout the weekend, several of Moxnes’s party colleagues have expressed that they still have confidence in their party leader. Among them are several members of the central government, such as parliamentary politician Seher Aydar, and other central Raudt politicians such as Mímir Kristjánsson and Sofie Marhaug. – There is far from full agreement about this support in Raudt, writes Stein in a previously unpublished reader post sent to the local newspaper. Furthermore, he writes that he knows several people who also believe that the party leadership concluded too quickly. – I would argue that the handling was both undemocratic and contrary to the statutes, he claims. Still have confidence – I still have confidence in Bjørnar Moxnes, says parliamentary representative Mímir Kristjánsson to news. He says it is perfectly fine for a member like Viktor Stein to speak his mind, but that Kristjánsson’s clear opinion is that people still have confidence in Moxnes. Storting representative Mímir Kristjánsson still has confidence in Bjørnar Moxnes. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB Does Stein have a point that the articles of association state that Raudt should call a national board meeting? – As far as I understand, the party office has contacted the national board members without anyone having requested such a meeting. You almost have to ask someone who sits on the national board about that. But is there anything about the handling of Moxnes that you question? – It’s not that this doesn’t concern us. My assessment, even if Bjørnar’s explanations in this case are not confidence-inspiring, is that it does not shake the total trust he has built up over time, replies Kristjánsson. In an earlier version of the case, Viktor Stein was referred to as both local team leader and municipal council representative for Raudt Sømna. The correct thing is that he is the municipal council representative for Raudt Sømna, and that Ida Ellingsen leads the local team in Sømna.
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Municipal board representative in Raudt supports emergency meeting – thinks Moxnes should step down – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
