The full assembly of the Sámi assemblies decided to approve the government’s bill, but they want to change the section on municipal quotas in the bill.
OF THE SAMAI CONGREGATIONS On Tuesday, the plenary session discussed the government’s motion to amend the Sámi District Act. The plenary meeting made a decision on the official position of the Sámi assemblies on the bill.
At the meeting, the government’s bill was approved by a vote of 15–3. There was one abstention at the meeting.
The meeting also decided to propose an amendment to section 10, subsection 1 of the bill.
The point concerns the municipal quota of Sámi assemblies. According to the proposal, in the future, each of the four Sámi home regions would be allocated two seats instead of three in the Sámi assemblies.
The proposed amendment reads as follows:
The Sámi assemblies include 21 members and four alternate members, who are elected at the Sámi assemblies’ elections for a four-year term, which begins on December 1 of the election year. The Sámi assemblies must have at least two members and one alternate member from the municipalities of Enontekiö, Inari and Utsjoki and from the area of the Lapland parish of Sodankylä municipality. The remaining 13 members are elected based on the number of votes, however, in such a way that at least five members must be from the Sámi’s home region.
A proposal the change was originally made by a member of the Sámi assemblies Anu Avaskari.
Avaskar’s proposal was approved with 15 votes in favor – 4 abstentions. The majority of the Sámi parliament therefore approved the change in the bill.
The members of the Sámi assemblies, however, left their dissenting opinion Kari Kyrö, Inka Kangasniemi and Pigga Central House. They asked to note their dissenting opinion in the minutes as well.
The Sámi assembly had already discussed the change to the bill the night before. Some of the members criticized the fact that the meeting was announced with such short notice that not everyone was able to participate and influence the decision.
The bill has also heated up feelings among the members of the Sámi parliament, but Tuesday’s protracted meeting was held in a generally businesslike atmosphere. The members also thanked each other for keeping the discussion calm and to the point.
Last week, the Finnish government submitted a proposal to the parliament to amend the Sámi District Act. The proposed changes to the law required the approval of the Sámi assemblies.
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