Blank List
The Left Alliance (Venstrealliansen) want more contributions from you, and are therefore standing for election with banners without slogans.
The Left Alliance (VA) are sick of the fractions merging into each other in advance of the Student Parliament election, and want the voters to form closer bonds with the fractions. The first step: A blank piece of paper.
- On our stand on Frederikkeplassen we will have a big white banner, on which everyone can write whatever they want. This is due to our belief that student politics is not in touch with the average student.
This is what Thomas Tallaksen, representative of VA, says. He thinks that the fractions are not open enough towards normal students.
- Today you can make your own fraction or vote for one of the fractions that already exist - that’s it. It is difficult to influence the fractions already sitting in the Student Parliament (SP). This is what we want to change, and we will start by for example having open general meetings in advance of the Student parliament meetings, so that everybody can come and contribute, he says.
But even though VA want to take their cues from the Students at Fredrikkeplassen, they continue fighting for their core causes. This week VA was visited by two Palestinian students from the organization Stop the Wall, Ghali Rezeqallah og Mohammad Othman. These two informed students that the situation for students on the west bank has deteriorated since Israel started on the construction of their wall.
- The journey to school, which previously took half an hour, can now take up to four hours due to the border controls. Even Palestinians are shocked at how bad the situation is for us students, says Rezeqallah, who speaks of physical punishment and experiences such as having examination premises bombed with tear gas.
The two students have come to the learning institutions of Norway with a call for an academic boycott of Israel. VA, who put forward a resolution to boycott Israel for the remaining period, says that a resolution in SP regarding this is not a priority for the next period.
- When we put forward the boycott resolution, it failed by one vote. We will not be taking a rematch over this, says Tallaksen.
- Is the Student Parliament the correct forum for these kinds of issues?
-Yes, if the case gets enough sympathy, then the Student Parliament is a possible forum. But it is important to have participation from all members of the academic environment, employees as well.
- So, despite the wish for closer ties with the grassroots and no promises regarding boycotts, VA is still a fraction that wants to work with international student politics?
- Yes. We think that international student solidarity is important.
