Put Raja on Top in Akershus, Østfold and Buskerud – VG

– I can confirm that. When we have such a high-profile politician like Abid Raja, a unanimous nominating committee in Viken Venstre recommended that Raja top the charts in Østfold, Akershus and Buskerud, nominating committee leader Tord Hustveit tells VG.

The reason they can is that even though several counties have now merged, it is the former county councils that will have their own lists and nominate their candidates for next year’s parliamentary elections.

– No one else has chosen this solution. The Liberal Party will be the first and only party with a common list for all Viken constituencies, Hustveit says.

– Why not take the opportunity to have different people take first place in the three counties?

– Because we have put together a list of four main candidates that we think can give us great support in Viken. And because our region has many common challenges in which it is important to be united. A joint team for the entire region will be a strength for this work, says Hustveit.

– Historically headed list

It refers, among other things, to the Fornebu line, the Ringerik line and the south double track towards Østfold.

– These are projects that are important to our region and that are easier to carry out when we are together, says Hustveit, who was previously the leader of Unge Venstre.

He adds:

– We have a historically headed list, where we have a minister, a parliamentary representative and a secretary of state in the first three places. It’s a bit of a team, and we are convinced that you will be able to offer us a good choice at Viken.

Believe in a Raja effect.

– Has a very positive energy and has the ability to be in contact with people.

Viken Venstre’s strategy means that its base will be around 1.2 million people; the largest county in the country by far.

In 2017, the Liberal Party received 6.5 percent of the vote, Østfold 2.4 percent and in Buskerud 3.7.

Raja: – Hairy Challenge

Raja says he is grateful that Viken Venstre unanimously nominated him as the leading candidate in all of Viken.

– This will be an extraordinarily large task, because I intend to have time to tell everyone in Viken that they can vote for me and for the Liberal Party, and why they should. I’ll do my best for Viken.

He jokingly adds when VG asks him:

– I gladly accept the hairy challenge of trying to become one of the politicians in the country with the most votes. And I hope the nomination meeting in Viken at the end of October will give me the opportunity to do so.

Here you can see who the top four proposed candidates are:

– Solveig is one of the best politicians in the Liberal Party and together with Abid they will be able to get a lot of support. Maren is a farmer and has a commitment to the environment that will satisfy many, believes the chairman of the nominating committee.

The nomination meeting at Viken Venstre is 24-25. October.

Few others have chosen this method.

Election researcher and director of the Poll of polls website, Johan Giertsen, says there are currently few other known nominations in various merged municipalities.

– It could be a problem with KrF leader Kjell Ingolf Ropstad in Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder and for Sveinung Rotevatn of the Liberal Party in Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane.

Jan Morten Sundeid, director of the Ministry of Local Government, says that it is entirely possible to execute in several counties.

– If a politician is elected in multiple counties, he or she must choose from which county they want to run. Whoever is second on the list in the county you choose will move up, he says.