In Nanortalik and five settlements, the citizens vote today in an indicative referendum on whether they want to secede from Kujalleq Municipality. Augustinus Augustinussen “Aggooraq” has been with us since the morning and hopes that Nanortalik and the settlements can once again become an independent municipality. He explains why he wants secession.
Nanortalik has the latest days were marked by bad weather. But today the sun is shining from an almost cloudless sky.
Whether it’s the sunshine because it’s Friday, or the interest in the indicative poll that’s drawn people out, it’s hard to say. But the assembly hall was already full to bursting point when the polling station opened this morning. Many citizens have been looking forward to the day.
– People have been very happy. There were many who came. I have also seen students who have come from their school to follow along, says Augustinus Augustinussen to Sermitsiaq.
He is an old Nanortalik citizen and was among those who showed up when the polls opened at nine o’clock. He has followed the development in the city since Nanortalik Municipality was closed down in 2009 and merged with the other municipalities in what is today Kujalleq Municipality.
– I believe that the development in Nanortalik has only gone downhill since then, says Augustinus Augustinussen.
– If we become a municipality, we will have more say
He says that the downward trend can also be seen on the roads.
– For example, it is mentioned every year that the roads here in the city are getting worse and worse. The holes are only slightly filled, and that’s it. There are also other examples, he says.
When the large municipalities were introduced in 2009, the mayors were placed in the largest cities in the municipalities. According to Augustinus Augustinussen, it is also important for the citizens that the mayor is no longer visible in Nanortalik.
– If we become a municipality, we can take part in democracy in our city to a greater extent. For example, we have a mayor in Qaqortoq. Since we became a large municipality in 2009, the mayor has been in Qaqortoq. We do not have a mayor in Nanortalik. If Nanortalik becomes a municipality, the elected representatives will be easier to contact, and we will also get a mayor.
Can’t you make better use of the municipally elected representatives?
– Yes, they can easily be used. In my opinion, the elected officials here in the city are not visible enough in the Municipality of Kujalleq when you think of Nanortalik, says Augustinus Augustinussen.
Hope the vote can be used
The advisory vote is a hearing only. This means that even if the majority in Nanortalik and the five settlements want to secede from the Municipality of Kujalleq, it does not mean that Nanortalik will immediately become a municipality.
The result of the vote can be used in the further work on how the municipalities in the country should look in the future. Augustinus Augustinussen hopes that the result will be used constructively.
– If Inatsisartut decides to do so in the future, and they must, I hope that the vote can be used, he says.
He finds that the majority of citizens want Nanortalik to be an independent municipality again, while the opponents are not as visible.
– This morning I saw a post on Facebook that called on people to think twice and consider whether they should really vote yes or no. And that is also true, says Augustinus Augustinussen.
It is Inatsisartut who can ultimately decide whether the municipal structure must be changed. The result of the vote in Nanortalik and the five settlements can therefore be included in the further political work the municipalities’ future structure.
