When Greenland’s premier, Múte B Egede (above left) was chosen to lead talks on behalf of his party to form a new government last April, there was just one party that had his interest. Naleraq, a nationalist party, despite differing from Mr Egede’s socialist Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) party on more points than the two agreed on, was the only choice for a coalition partner if either were to accomplish their election promise of outlawing uranium mining.
That law passed the legislature on 10 November, and, since then, the two parties had apparently grown apart to the point where Mr Egede decided yesterday that accomplishing his other goals would no longer be possible with Naleraq in the cabinet. Instead, he has decided that Siumuit, the second-largest vote-getter in last year’s election was — despite its whole-hearted support for uranium mining — now the better choice.
Such a coalition makes sense: both parties are solidly on Greenland’s political left, and, while traditionally bitter rivals, they have on several occasions governed together, though never with an IA premier at the head of the table. Most recently, the two parties shared power for a year leading up to last year’s election.
Together, the two parties will control 22 of the seats in the 31-member Inatsisartut, forming what Mr Egede yesterday called a “necessary” alliance that appeared to agree on a number of contentious issues, including a reform of legislation governing fisheries, Greenland’s most important economic activity.
The two parties still do not see eye-to-eye on Uranium mining, but Siumut, according to its leader, Erik Jensen (at right in top picture), has accepted that the law is as it is, and the party will only seek to change it if a referendum were to be held and the outcome was in favour of overturning the law.
Ironically, Mr Jensen had shot down any prospects of joining the IA-Naleraq cabinet last September, when a tiff between Mr Egede and a member of Naleraq serving in his cabinet threatened to bring down the government. Officially, this was because Siumut did not agree with the government on a range of issues beyond uranium, such as fisheries legislation and other items they have now agreed to find common ground on. But, Mr Jensen, it was also suggested, was loath to bail out a rival when not doing so might have forced an election that he could well have won. But, with the ban done and dusted and with the prospect of being able to take over four of the cabinet’s ten seats (IA, which previously had seven members, will now have six), as well as the speakership of Inatsisartut, it seems he has decided that the offer is one that he should not continue to refuse.
Kevin McGwin, PolarJournal
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