“You are the traitor”, “we are being drawn on”, “this is immoral”, “we must divorce before we become bitter enemies”. These are just some of the characteristics that emerged during the municipal council meeting in Kinn today. It all culminated with 21 votes in favor of retaining the municipality. 18 voted against. – I am very happy and relieved that there was a majority in favor of continuing Kinn, says Marie Jensen (Ap). About a week ago, she signed out of SV and into Ap, and signaled that she wanted to keep Kinn. In doing so, she helped secure the narrow majority for the continued existence of the disputed coastal municipality. Mayor Ola Teigen (Ap) was also happy. – Now I am relieved and hope the decision will not be reviewed by others, he says. Group leader in Kinn SV, Ingunn Frøyen, clarifies that the representatives in the group were free during the voting on Wednesday. Only 44 votes divided yes and no The politicians hoped for a clear answer in the consultative referendum a week ago, but the exact opposite happened. While 49.14 wanted to keep the municipality, 48.52 wanted to dissolve it. Only 44 votes separated the parties. In the Vågsøy section, 59.2 percent voted to split up the municipality (blank votes excluded), and voter turnout was higher than in the Flora section. This was the backdrop for today’s municipal council meeting. – I meet people everywhere who, to put it mildly, are furious at Kinn, said Randi Aare (Sp). – Don’t cling to a mistake, even if it took a long time to make this mistake. Should the meat weight ignore the clear position in Vågsøy. It borders on the immoral, Geir Oldeide (Raudt). CRITICAL: Geir Oldeide (Raudt) believes it borders on immoral to drive over the clear majority towards Kinn in Vågsøy. Photo: Bård Siem / news – Extremely disrespectful – It is extremely disrespectful of Oldeide to claim that we who want to keep the municipality are immoral, said Frank Willy Djuvik (Frp). At the same time, he took self-criticism on behalf of the politicians. – Instead of focusing on the positive in the municipality, we have mostly argued and criticized each other. We have to stop that, he said. POSITIVE: Frank Willy Djuvik called for a better debate culture in Kinn. We have to speak nicer to each other. he said. Photo: Bård Siem / news The Center Party hopes the Storting will review the decision in the municipal council. – We will be overrun forever. It is better to divorce now than to wait until you become bitter enemies, said Fredrik Egeberg (Sp). Sp, Raudt and SV wanted to divide the municipality. The right split. Two wanted to keep the municipality, four wanted to share. One of them was Bengt Solheim-Olsen. – Geographically, we are Norway’s strangest municipality. We ask for advice and get a clear no from Vågsøy. Then it is extremely strange to overlook it. It is not the right way to go to get peace, he said. The MDG was split down the middle. Ap, V, Frp and KrF wanted to keep the municipality. STATED: Bent Solheim-Olsen (H) thinks Kinn should be disbanded. Photo: Bård Siem / news Gjelsvik: – Will listen to the municipality The municipal council meeting will now send its recommendation to the newly appointed State Administrator in Vestland, Liv Signe Navarsete. The former central SP politician has expressed strong skepticism about Kinn several times. She does not want to anticipate what the office will arrive at. – The most important thing is that they have made a decision, then we get to discuss in the office and make our recommendation to the ministry, she says and adds that the matter is difficult. – We have a referendum that did not give a particularly clear answer and a municipal council that is divided. Nevertheless, there is a majority and a minority in the decision. Local Government Minister Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp) will also assess the matter. On Wednesday afternoon, he went to great lengths to signal that he will not intervene in the case. – Now we have had a referendum, and the municipality has agreed that it wants to keep Kinn municipality. It is clear that it is an important starting point now. Before he adds: – I think it is important that we listen to what the municipality itself wants. They are the ones who took up the process and who have found out what they want for the future. The King in the Council of State cannot alone change the decision of the municipal council, but the government can send the matter on to the Storting.
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Plural to keep Kinn municipality – news Vestland
