 On September 14th there will be elections to the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) and to the Sami Assembly in Norway. The Norway Post will try to present information and comments. Today: The Norwegian Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet - AP):
The Norwegian Labour Party was founded in 1887. In gained its first parliamentary seats in 1903 and has been Norway`s largest political party since 1927. The party experienced a split in 1921 caused by a decision made two years earlier to join the Communist International. In 1923 the party left the Communist International and in 1927 Labour was once again united. The first labour government was formed in 1928, lasting only two weeks. During the early 1930s Labour abandoned its revolutionary profile and set for a reformist course. Labour then returned to government in 1935 and remained in power until 1965 (except for the exile period between 1940-45). Other periods in government have been 1971-72, 1973-81, 1986-89 , 1990-97 and 2000-2001. On its Home Page, the party states that through 44 years in government AP has played a decisive role in shaping the Norwegian welfare state. Although recognising that there is still a lot to be done, the party is proud to be associated with the achievements being made by Labour governments during several decades: A society with a relatively small gap between rich and poor, a comprehensive welfare system and low unemployment compared to most other countries. It goes on to say that: - The Norwegian Labour Party has a vision of a just world without poverty, in peace and ecological balance, where people are free and equal and have influence on the conditions affecting their lives. - The Norwegian Labour Party is a social democratic party committed to liberty, democracy and social justice. It is a reformist party that believes in partnership and cooperation on national as well as international level. By acting together rather than just as individuals, we can make society a better place in which to live. - The Norwegian Labour Party is the largest political party in Norway. Labour got 32,7 per cent of the votes in the general election in 2005 and has 61 out of 169 members of parliament. Together with the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party there is a red-green majority in Parliament. These parties together have 87 out of 169 seats. Party leader and Prime Minister is Jens Stoltenberg. (Party Home Page) Rolleiv Solholm |
