Last week it became clear that the nomination committee in Rødt Nordland wanted to place the controversial politician Per-Gunnar Skotåm at the top of the county council list. It made several people see red. Red Youth in Nordland threatened to break cooperation with the parent party, and party leader Bjørnar Moxnes and the party leadership asked the county party to reconsider. Now Skotåm itself has taken action. He tells news that in an e-mail to the nomination committee he has withdrawn his candidacy. – The media storm that was linked to the fact that a broad-based nomination committee put me at the top, with protests from Red youth and objections from party leader Bjørnar Moxnes, meant that we got a divided party that could not possibly manage to go into an election campaign for Red and the the policy Rødt stood for, says Skotåm to news. He continues: – Then it is natural to withdraw my candidacy, and it will be unsustainable for me to have this type of media storm two or three times a year. Then it was for the good of the party, and it was for my own sake, he says. Earlier today Klassekampen, among others, wrote that Skotåm was wrecked. He vehemently denies that. – It was I who withdrew my candidacy. Resigned from the national board 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. Rødt is clear that they do not want to be associated with Steigan.no. – The connection between Rødt and Steigan.no is now being created again. It is something Rødt’s members, voters and union representatives around the country are confronted with. I therefore assume that all those involved think carefully about and take into account the national board’s decision and the feedback that comes, Moxnes wrote in a text message to news earlier this week. Continuing as a politician – What do you think of the actions of party leader Bjørnar Moxnes in this case, Skotåm? – I don’t think I will comment on that. – Have you considered resigning from the party? – Absolutely not. That’s out of the question. – What are you going to do next? – I am elected in the county and in Fauske municipality, and must run for the best for the policy I have been elected for and the best for the party I have been elected for. Done with the work – The committee would like to regret that the level of debate surrounding the committee’s first proposal has partly been inappropriate and made public. The committee would like to remind you that our original proposal was mainly based on input through two rounds of consultation, writes Elisabeth Anethe Olsen in a press release. She is the leader of the nomination committee. She also writes that it will be challenging and difficult in the short term to fulfill the role that the current group leader at the county council, Per Gunnar Skotåm, has had. – He has withdrawn his candidacy despite the fact that teams and individual members have given a clear signal through the three consultation rounds that he and his position are also wanted in the next term. If the nomination committee gets its way, Synne H. Bjørbæk from Bodø will be the new top of the list. On 5 and 6 November, the county team has its nomination meeting.
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Per-Gunnar Skotåm will not run for Rødt – news Nordland
