It didn’t help that it was claimed from the pulpit that Hadia Tajik had the powers to save the planet and beat back the right-wing forces. Nothing less. That Labor needed the best among us, or that she is “more popular than the Labor Party in Oslo”.
Oslo Arbeiderparti nevertheless turned its mighty thumb down for Tajik and went for Kamzy Gunaratnam. 108 votes for Tajik and 124 for Gunaratnam in a meeting with history in the air. Eastern districts, the trade union movement and the youth wanted her. VG’s commentator Hans Petter Sjøli’s first draft was entitled “Tajik’s triumph”. It ended with “Tajik’s sad loss”.
They sought the reassurance Tajik provides
In Gunaratnam, the Oslo Labor Party gets a brilliant candidate. Someone who knows the city, who grew up here, with roots in Groruddalen, who has a big, sincere and burning heart. For the city and the trade union movement.
In Tajik, the Labor Party loses a sparkling candidate. With more experience than most in the party and with greater potential to lead both party and country. A leader and politician with what may have to be called greater format. And not least, could be a supporting part of the foundation the party must build on in what will most likely be an opposition existence from next autumn. It didn’t help that she wanted to “give her best years to Oslo”.
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A large majority of the nomination committee saw precisely this, that Tajik’s strength and versatility, capacity and execution power, were crucial to continue in what was several times referred to as the fight against right-wing forces from the pulpit. The chairman of the nomination committee pointed out that she was one of the few who could compete with Listhaug and Solberg in a debate. They wanted to take her with them into an unpredictable and more dangerous future. They sought the reassurance Tajik provides.
There was therefore a kind of desperation in Rina Mariann Hansen’s plea to the assembly’s 234 eligible voters. The nomination committee wanted to include Hadia Tajik in the “war”, but was refused. The committee’s one brave dissenting vote prevailed.
The paradox is that the election may be good and right for Oslo, which deserves and needs a Kamzy, a Groruddøl and a fighter, but is bad news for a Labor Party in crisis. Which should have had both candidates with them going forward. Goodbye to Tajik will weaken the party’s chances of winning the election in 2025 and will mean that the party will not be able to get the most out of the opposition.
What now happens to Tajik is uncertain. She says she is going to look for jobs. Can she take more politics. Does she want more Labor Party? After being thrown as a minister and now not even wanted in the Storting.
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