Local govern­ment elec­tions in Lon­gye­ar­by­en

A new local govern­ment (“Lokals­ty­re”) was elec­ted in Lon­gye­ar­by­en yes­ter­day (Mon­day, Octo­ber 07). The muni­ci­pal coun­cil has 15 mem­bers and elects the Lokals­ty­re­le­der (“mayor”) from the­se mem­bers. Lokals­ty­re admi­nis­tra­tes the area of the com­mu­ni­ty of Lon­gye­ar­by­en, but does not deci­de on the poli­tics in Sval­bard bey­ond Lon­gye­ar­by­en.

Most votes were coun­ted Mon­day evening. The result is not yet final, but major chan­ges are not expec­ted any­mo­re. Accor­ding to the preli­mi­na­ry result, Arbei­der­par­tiet (Ap, labour par­ty, social-demo­cra­tic) recei­ved most votes and will have 5 out of the 15 seats in the future com­mu­ni­ty coun­cil. Venst­re (V, a social-libe­ral par­ty) got a few votes less but will also have 5 “Lokals­ty­re­med­lem­mer” (com­mu­ni­ty coun­cil mem­bers). Høy­re (H, con­ser­va­ti­ve par­ty) and Frems­kritts­par­tiet (right-wing liber­ta­ri­an par­ty) will have 2 seats each. The local branch of Mil­jø­par­tiet De Grøn­ne (green par­ty) recei­ved a rather dis­ap­poin­ting result and will only have 1 seat in the future com­mu­ni­ty coun­cil, some­thing that has cer­tain­ly also to do with their elec­tion cam­pain – not much was heard from Mil­jø­par­tiet De Grøn­ne in Lon­gye­ar­by­en during the months and weeks befo­re the elec­tions.

Arild Olsen (Ap) has been Lokals­ty­re­le­der (mayor) sin­ce 2015. Both Olsen and Ter­je Aune­vik (V) have chan­ces to take the mayor’s chair in the future com­mu­ni­ty coun­cil.

The voter par­ti­ci­pa­ti­on was 61.7 %. All inha­bi­tants are eli­gi­ble to vote after a cer­tain peri­od which depends on their natio­na­li­ty.

Lon­gye­ar­by­en Lokals­ty­re was estab­lished in 2002, intro­du­cing local demo­cra­cy in Svalbard’s lar­gest sett­le­ment. Lokals­ty­re and the mayor are not to be con­fu­sed with the Sys­sel­man­nen (“gover­nor”), who is the hig­hest repre­sen­ta­ti­ve of the Nor­we­gi­an govern­ment. The Sys­sel­man­nen is not elec­ted but appoin­ted by the govern­ment in Oslo.

Lokals­ty­r­e­valg (com­mu­ni­ty coun­cil elec­tions) in Lon­gye­ar­by­en.
The coun­cil meets in “Nærings­bygg­get” (left).

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