Tuesday’s power struggle in the nomination meeting was between two top politicians from the Oslo Labor Party, Kamzy Gunaratnam and Hadia Tajik. Both have a long career in politics and were quite young when they joined the Labor Party. During the meeting, Tajik asked for the confidence of his party.
– As strong as the right-wing movements are now, we need to gather the forces from the labor movement now. If you want me, I will give you my best years, Tajik said from the podium.
– It is an honor to be considered with you, Hadia, Kamzy said in her speech, at the same time that she was clear that she wants to work for the people of Oslo to invest in the Labor Party’s solutions if she is elected.
Kamzy won the duel
233 votes were cast, including one blank vote. Hadia Tajik got 108 votes and Kamzy 124 votes. This means that Kamzy has secured second place on the nomination list for Oslo Ap.
Both politicians have several things in common. They are both high-profile politicians with minority backgrounds, which is a rare commodity in politics in Norway today. After Hadia Tajik was proposed in second place by the majority of the selection committee, notified Kamzy that she will take the fight against Hadia and did not want to be in third place on the nomination list.
Neither of the two were alternatives to other places on the list, and Tajik said after the defeat that she will now look for other jobs.
– I intend to apply for completely normal jobs, says Tajik NRK when asked if she is finished as a politician if she does not secure a place on the parliamentary list for next year.
– I want to congratulate Kamzy a lot. It is important that we gather the team, and I want to contribute to the Labor Party making the best possible choice in 2025, said Tajik, who avoided answering questions about whether it is appropriate for her to run further down the Storting list.
Also read: Kamzy beat Hadia in the vote for second place on Oslo Ap’s list (+)
– Being pitted against each other
Else Gro Risvand from Vestre Aker Arbeiderparti, was one of the first to go to the podium and criticized the nomination committee for setting up a power struggle between two women.
– Two women who do an excellent job should not lose it because someone else wants it. I don’t like that the two are pitted against each other, she said.
In any case, it means that Norway is losing a high-profile politician with an immigrant background. Hadia already has indicated that she will now apply for a regular job.
– That is precisely what I find so sad. Although both have good supporters in the party, Kamzy is someone who listens to everyone, but still does not let them influence what she stands for, she says.
That’s why Risvand voted for her.
Read also: Kamzy: Takes the vote with crushing calm: – What’s the worst that can happen, like? (+)
– We have a luxury problem
Leader of Sagene AUF, Waris Ahmed, says that the Labor Party has a luxury problem.
– We at Sagene AUF believe that this is a real luxury problem. It is very, very difficult to decide on this here, she says.
But what do you think about a high-profile politician with an immigrant background disappearing from national politics?
– Both Kamzy and Hadia have been my role models. I am not in favor of pitting them against each other, as I said we have a luxury problem and now I believe that we have chosen someone who I believe will do a good job, she says.
She also points to Kamzy’s broad support among young people as important.
Read also: Hadia Tajik: – Oslo is my city (+)
