“Call for Secret Vote on Labor Party Secretary to Strengthen Party Democracy”

– If Kjersti Stenseng is re-elected as party secretary, she will have one of the weakest mandates in the Labor Party’s history. The only right thing is to give the national assembly the opportunity to vote blankly. It will strengthen party democracy in the Labor Party, says Knut Roger Andersen.

Andersen is a veteran in the Labor Party. He has been a member for 42 years, has been a city council member in Oslo for 12 years, previously a member of the party board, and has held countless positions of trust and leadership at all levels in the party.

He is not a delegate at the national meeting that begins on Thursday.

Well med me

Andersen is now asking one of the 300 to demand a fair vote on the position of party secretary Kjersti Stenseng is unanimously in favor. It is enough for one person to put forward the demand, then the Labor Party’s articles of association require it to happen.

A written vote is also secret, so that everyone can vote according to their conscience.

– It is important that the national assembly actively expresses its opinion. I don’t know if there will be two blanks, ten, 100 or 200 blanks. But then the party has fulfilled its democratic duty. I think that is a good principled solution to the current situation, which is very troubled, says Andersen.

The best thing would be if Stenseng himself took responsibility, according to the Ap veteran.

– She should resign – as Skjæran did – so the party can find a new party secretary.

“Crack you like a louse”

Andersen draws the lines back to the Labor Party’s national meeting in 1967. Then Haakon Lie was unanimously in favor of continuing as party secretary of the election committee, but there was still a written vote.

– Then there were 92 blank votes while 172 voted for Lie. At the time, they moved and strengthened party democracy. We have the opportunity to do that again, says Andersen.

Incidentally, 1967 is a legendary national meeting in the history of the Labor Party. Einar Gerhardsen took issue with Haakon Lie’s leadership style from the pulpit. Lie is said to have then gone up to Gerhardsen afterwards and said – according to Gerhardsen – “I’m going to break you like a louse.”

However, Haakon Lie himself believed that he said “you are trying to break me like a louse.”

Has caused a lot of noise

– Massive desire for change

Now Andersen is asking for a new opportunity for the Labor Party’s highest body to air its dissatisfaction with a party secretary.

– Stenseng has been in office for eight years, and it is time for a change. The party secretary is the day-to-day leader of the party, who must inspire shop stewards and mobilize voters. It is far from reality under today’s party secretary, Andersen says, and continues.

– She has handled – demanding – matters at a very unfortunate meeting and the voters have disappeared. It is not the party secretary’s responsibility alone, but Stenseng has a significant responsibility.

Andersen expects and believes there will be a written vote. A blank vote will be an opportunity to express dissatisfaction, which he believes party democracy now badly needs.

– There is a massive desire to elect a new party secretary, but now we are not there after she has resigned. Then there should be a written vote.