INTO THEIR OWN HANDS: Morbus Medicus would like for Medicine to be self-governed. From the left: Petter Risøe, Andreas Pahle, Ketil Slagstad and Hanne Valeur.

Set to leave Parliament

Morbus Medicus wants to exit the Student Parliament and establish an independent senate at the Faculty of Medicine.

Egil Ellenes
Ellen Engelstad
Publisert Sist oppdatert

Student politics at the University

  • Morbus Medicus is a brand new political group set to work in the best interest of Medicine students, and ready to withdraw from the Student Parliament. Additional information available at www.morbus.no
  • The Student Parliament is the highest student authority at UiO. The Parliament presents student matters before UiO.
  • This year’s Student Parliament Election, where students cast their votes, is scheduled to take place by the end of March/beginning of April.
  • Here are your voting alternatives: Moderat Gruppe, Sosialdemokratene, Venstrealliansen, Fakultetslistene, Grøn Liste and Morbus Medicus. (Karl Johans-lista will not be running this year).
  • Leading up to the Election, Universitas will be presenting the various manifestos of the groups.

– We have tried to reason our way into co-operation with the Student Parliament, but feel that we have never succeeded, Petter Risøe says, who is the front-runner on behalf of the political group representing students of Medicine; Morbus Medicus (MM). The recently established political group is running under a somewhat peculiar banner: After the Election, the group is set to withdraw Medicine students from Parliament. – Sosialdemokratene and Moderat gruppe have traditionally been representing the interests of the Faculty of Medicine. They have been present in the election campaign making promises. However, we haven’t seen them again. And promises weren’t kept, Risøe says.

MM therefore holds that they will be better off alone, independent from Parliament. The group still wants to be a part of the Velferdsting, but wants to establish an independent student senate on behalf of the Faculty of Medicine at Gaustad. This shall be supported through a popular vote among students at the faculty.

– We are inspired by last year’s centennial celebration (the dissolution of Norway’s union with Sweden), Risøe explains.

Hunger strike

According to Risøe, MM is characterised as «foolish and unserious» by other groups in the Student Parliament. Due to this, MM initiated a hunger strike that is to last until the Election is held.

– We have issued a watch list that makes sure that at least one of our candidates is on hunger strike at any given moment, Risøe explains.

– You don’t think these kinds of stunts contribute to your being labeled unserious?

– We think that the election campaigns have a tendency of being way too grey. We would like to them to have a more common direction. It is also unserious with such a low turnout for the election, and with so few measures to improve the situation, he says.

Votes of confidence

Morbus Medicus hopes that its presence in the election campaign will increase the turnout among students, no matter whether people vote MM or other groups.

– But Risøe, are you really serious?

– Yes, absolutely. Many of our candidates have plenty of experience within student politics and have enjoyed a large number of votes of confidence. So, this is something we think is for the best, something which we definitely support.

english news student parliament election
Powered by Labrador CMS