2017 Norwegian Sámi parliamentary election
# 2017 Norwegian Sámi parliamentary election

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 Aili Keskitalo 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 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 Pedersen had withdrawn as Presidential candidate in December 2016 in opposition to the vote of no confidence, which she had strongly advised against and refused to defend.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 Vibeke Larsen 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 Aili Keskitalo 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 nominated their leader, Toril Bakken Kåven. Vibeke Larsen formed her own political party, Šiella, and ran is its Presidential candidate.

## Results

| | Norwegian Sámi Association | 3,303 | 28.09 | 16 | +5 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour Party | 1,998 | 16.99 | 9 | –1 |
| | Árja | 911 | 7.75 | 1 | –3 |
| | Centre Party | 889 | 7.56 | 2 | +2 |
| | Progress Party | 879 | 7.48 | 1 | –1 |
| | Nordkalottfolket | 772 | 6.57 | 3 | 0 |
| | Conservative Party | 752 | 6.40 | 1 | –1 |
| | NSR–SáB | 493 | 4.19 | 2 | 0 |
| | Ávjovári Moving Sámi List | 291 | 2.48 | 1 | 0 |
| | Šiella | 272 | 2.31 | 0 | New |
| | Sámi People's Party | 238 | 2.02 | 1 | +1 |
| | People's Federation of the Saami | 204 | 1.74 | 0 | New |
| | Åarjel-Saemiej Gïelh | 200 | 1.70 | 1 | –1 |
| | Guovdageainnu Residents List | 177 | 1.51 | 1 | New |
| | Sámi Democrats–Šiella | 117 | 1.00 | 0 | New |
| | Jiehkkevárri | 82 | 0.70 | 0 | New |
| | Sámieana | 78 | 0.66 | 0 | New |
| | List of Permanent Residents | 76 | 0.65 | 0 | New |
| | Socialist Left Party | 25 | 0.21 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 11,757 | 100.00 | 39 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 11,757 | 98.36 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 196 | 1.64 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 11,953 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 16,958 | 70.49 | | |
| Source: Valgresultat.no ||||||
