The 2017 Norwegian Sámi parliamentary election was held on 11 September 2017. All 39 seats in the Norwegian Sámi legislature, the Sámediggi, were up for election.

Background

Previous election

In the previous election, held on 9 September 2013, the Norwegian Sámi Association, with former President of the

Sámi Parliament The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are a Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, R ...

Aili Keskitalo Aili Keskitalo (born 29 October 1968) is a Norwegian Sami politician representing the Norwegian Sámi Association (NSR), who has served as the president of the Sami Parliament for three terms, from 2005 to 2007, 2013 to 2016 and 2017 to 2021. Pri ...

as their Presidential candidate, won a plurality, with 11 of the 39 seats, including 2 on a joint list with the Sami People's Party. The Norwegian Sámi Association formed a minority administration on the Governing Council supported by the Labour Party, Árja and Åarjel-Saemiej Gielh. Keskitalo took office as President on 16 October after being elected by the Parliament. The Labour Party, which had governed from 2007, returned to the opposition.

2016–17 political crisis

In December 2016, the budget proposed by Keskitalo's Governing Council was rejected by the Parliament, which instead voted for an alternative budget proposed by the Labour Party, Conservative Party, and Árja. A successful vote of no confidence followed. On 8 December 2016, Aili Keskitalo resigned and the Parliament elected Labour's

Vibeke Larsen Vibeke Larsen (born 15 June 1971) is a Norwegian Sami politician of Nordkalottfolket, formerly of the Labour Party and . She was born in Vassdalen in Narvik. She was elected member to the Sami Parliament of Norway first time in 2005. From 2009 ...

as her replacement, with a coalition consisting of Labour, the Conservative Party, and Árja. On 28 January 2017, the Labour Party held a political council to select a new Presidential candidate after the withdrawal of Helga Pedersen. Pedersen had withdrawn as Presidential candidate in December 2016 in opposition to the vote of no confidence, which she had strongly advised against and refused to defend. Ronny Wilhelmsen was nominated, defeating incumbent President

by 21 votes to 17 on the second ballot. Larsen subsequently announced her intention to resign as President, before announcing the next day that she would leave the Labour Party and continue as a political independent, citing a "use and throw away mentality" within the party. Larsen additionally fired Wilhlemsen as her Vice President due to a lack of trust.

Presidential candidates

The Norwegian Sámi Association re-nominated

as their Presidential candidate. The Labour Party nominated Ronny Wilhelmsen, who served as Vice President of the Sámi Parliament prior to his firing in January 2017. Árja nominated Inger Eline Eriksen, member of the Governing Council.

Nordkalottfolket Nordkalottfolket (, NKF) is a Sámi political party in Norway. It was first established in 2005 and contested the 2005 Norwegian Sámi parliamentary election, 2005 election as the Finnmark List ( no, Finnmarkslista), but was renamed in 2009 to its ...

nominated their leader, Toril Bakken Kåven.

formed her own political party, Šiella, and ran is its Presidential candidate.

Results

References