The Greenlandic population has a right to know what the Greenlandic government wants with Greenland's future. Múte B. Egede can no longer "be content" with calling for unity, say former top politicians.
Recent events have had an impact on all of us. Although the pressure is great, we must not panic. We must stand together as a people and show that Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.
This is what the chairman of the Greenlandic government, Múte B. Egede, writes on his Facebook profile. The issue is for those who feel like expressing themselves after U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his desire to gain control of Greenland.
But reassuring words are no longer enough. This is according to Kaj Kleist, who has been a top official in both the Home Rule and the Self-Government for many years.
Three weeks have passed. The only thing he (Múte B. Egede, ed.) has said is that we are Greenlanders and not for sale. It is no longer enough to call for calm and hope that the crisis will pass by itself. This shows a certain uncertainty about what the Greenlandic government wants, and it causes concern, he says.
Martha Labansen, who worked for several years as director of KANUKOKA, the Greenlandic Association of Municipalities, and in the Home Rule, also misses the government's showing of color.
It is a shame for a democratic country that the Greenlandic government and especially Múte B. Egede do not openly state what opportunities and dangers there are in the current situation. When we are soon facing an election, the population must know what the coalition wants. Should we cooperate more with the USA or maintain the close relationship with Denmark, she says.
Until now, Múte B. Egede has primarily spoken out at press conferences and via social media.
Each time with the same messages – "Greenland is not for sale, but open for business" or "Greenlandians do not want to be Danes, and they do not want to be Americans either. They want to be Greenlanders".
Aqqaluk Lynge, one of the founders of Inuit Ataqatigiit (Community of the People Party), believes that the fact that communication is so controlled is sensible. He reminds us that a Greenlandic leader has never been in such a serious situation. According to Aqqaluk Lynge, the country's existence is at stake. It is in this light that one must assess the chairman of the Greenlandic government.
Múte B. Egede has done well, he says.
Kaj Kleist and Martha Labansen acknowledge that Múte B. Egede and the Greenlandic government are in an extraordinary situation. That is precisely why it is also crucial that the leading politicians take responsibility and show the way.
I miss the direction the Greenlandic government thinks we should go. Right now it seems like a buffet where you can take whatever you want. But it doesn't work. It makes the population uncertain whether we are in the hands of the Americans or the Danes, says Kaj Kleist.
While the three former political leaders disagree when it comes to their assessment of Múte B. Egede, they can quickly agree that the current crisis has created cracks in the coalition.
Here they all point to Kuno Fencker (Siumut) and his decision to travel to the USA to meet with top people in the Republican party. People who have openly said that they believe Greenland should become part of the USA.
It seems that the unity in Naalakkersuisut is starting to crack when a member (Kuno Fencker, ed.) takes over and does something that looks like negotiating with someone about how Greenland can become part of the USA, says Kaj Kleist.
Aqqaluk Lynge, who sat in the Landsting from 1983 to 1995, is also harsh in his criticism of Kuno Fencker.
The actions that we have seen in Washington D.C., where there have been conversations with 300 people, undermine Naalakkersuisut's desire for unity. Our society does not support that, he says.
Source: Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (in Danish)
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