Difficult to establish a Saami Parliament in Russia
The main indigenous people of the Kola Peninsula, the Saami, at their first congress decided to establish their own parliament. The Russian constitution, however, does not open for establishment of such bodies.
- It will be difficult to establish a Saami Parliament in Murmansk Oblast, head of Murmansk Oblast Duma, Yevgeny Nikora said to the Norwegian Broadcasting Cooperation. The Russian constitution does not open for establishment of ethnical parliaments. One also has to keep in mind that there are 40 different indigenous peoples in Russia, Nikora said.
Egil Olli, President of the Norwegian Saami Parliament, is not surprised over the authorities’ reaction.
- Authorities are always sceptical towards new organs, but I believe that with time, it is possible to establish an elected Saami organ in Russia.
At the congress, a decision was made to establish a representative organ under the jurisdiction of the regional government. This organ, a council of nine designated representatives elected by the congress, will work to make it possible to establish a Saami Parliament.
Read more: Saami Parliament on Kola Peninsula
Read more about the Saami in the Barents Region here
See video from the congress here (in Saami with Norwegian subtitles)
