– It is incredible that so much control has to be made. It is not easy to lead the committee when things like that happen. But now we have arrived at a proposal, and can probably be satisfied with that, says Sissel Trønsdal, who heads the election committee in the Trondheim Labor Party, to TV 2.
On Wednesday afternoon, just two days before the annual meeting in Trondheim Ap is to elect a new leader, the committee reached a unanimous recommendation.
To the surprise of many in Trondheim Ap, it was not Jørn Arve Flått, but instead Gunn Elin Høgli.
Address newspaper wrote on Tuesday that a majority of the election committee wanted to nominate Flått as new leader, but that former county mayor Tore O. Sandvik – who is a member of the committee – should have suggested Høgli instead.
PULL BACK: Jørn Arve Flått. Photo: Sandra Skillingsås / Trøndelag Ap
On Wednesday, however, Flått gave up and announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy after the Trond Giske-led local party Nidaros Social Democratic Forum announced that they wanted Høgli as leader.
According to the chairman of the election committee, Giske intervened personally on Tuesday evening.
– We had set up a process where all the local teams were asked to submit proposals for a new manager by 17 January. Seven teams made proposals. Then, last night, I received an SMS from the manager of Nidaros who, on behalf of the board there, suggested Høgli. It was a bit late. We also received proposals from two other teams yesterday, says Trønsdal.
Giske now leads Trondheim’s clear largest party group, Nidaro’s social democratic forum, and with its violent growth in membership over the past year and a half has obtained a clear majority at the annual meeting of Trondheim Ap.
At this weekend’s upcoming annual meeting in Trondheim Ap, Nidaros has received a total of 149 out of 211 delegates.
Flått launched his leadership candidacy in Address newspaper in January when Hanne Moe Bjørnbet announced that she would step down as leader of Trondheim Ap after ten years in office.
Until this week, Flått has been the only official candidate to take over the leadership position.
“I am happy that I have the support of the majority in the election committee, but at the same time acknowledge that it is unlikely that I will be able to gather a majority in the annual meeting.” writes Flått in a text message to TV 2.
Trond Giske has not yet responded to TV 2’s inquiry about the matter.
