OSLO, Norway (AFP) - Former Norwegian minister Trond Giske, a deputy leader of the Labour party, announced his resignation on Sunday after accusations that he sexually harassed young women.

Giske, 51, who served in several ministerial roles most recently as trade minister until 2013, was the subject of at least six accusations according to Norwegian media.

The details of those accusations have not been made public but one local official, Line Oma, on Friday said Giske had pressed her against a wall and kissed her at a disco in New Delhi in 2010 during a visit by the then trade and industry minister.

The scandal is a major embarrassment for the Labour party, which prides itself on being at the forefront of equality issues, and which recorded disappointing results at the last legislative elections in October.

Giske, one of two deputy leaders of the party, said on Facebook Sunday he was stepping down as "the burden has become too heavy and it weighs down on those I love the most and who have not themselves chosen themselves a political life".

The former minister is in a relationship with Norwegian singer and journalist Haddy N'jie.

Giske added in his online comments that he wants "to answer questions that are asked and address what I think is inaccurate" in the allegations against him.

He also gave up his position in the Norwegian parliament's finance committee.

Labour Party head Jonas Gahr Store said in a statement that he respected Giske's decision.

In November a thousand artists in Norway, considered one of the world's most gender-equal countries, denounced rape, assault and harassment in manifestos published by the Norwegian media.

The Giske scandal comes with the issue of rape and sexual harassment to the fore in the wake of the downfall of US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual assault by more than a hundred women. </s> OSLO, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The deputy head of Norway's main opposition Labour Party said on Sunday he was resigning following accusations of sexual harassment.

Trond Giske, 51, who held several cabinet posts in Labour governments, has apologised for what he said was unsuitable behaviour, but has rejected the most severe allegations as false and unfounded.

Few details of the allegation have been made public, but party leader Jonas Gahr Stoere said last month several women had accused his deputy of "unwanted encounters of a sexual nature".

Giske, who has been suspended from his post since Jan. 1, wrote on Facebook that he had decided to step down as deputy leader, and that he would also resign his post as Labour's chief spokesman on economic policy if requested by the party.

"The main reason I'm doing this, is that it's impossible for me and my family to withstand the pressure we've been under in recent weeks," he said, while adding he looked forward to present his own version of the cases.

Gahr Stoere said in a statement he had advised Giske, one of two deputy leaders of the party, to resign. Giske, who had been seen as a contender to lead the party in the future, remains a member of Norway's parliament.

The next parliamentary election is not due until 2021.

A number of figures from politics, corporate life and entertainment in several countries have quit or been fired in recent weeks as women have come forward with accusations of abuse and harassment.

The social movement aimed at raising awareness of sexual harassment and assault, epitomised by the #MeToo social media hashtag, was last month named Time magazine's 2017 "Person of the Year". (Reporting by Henrik Stolen; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Alison Williams) </s> The #MeToo movement forced a top Norwegian politician to step down from his job as the deputy leader of the country’s biggest opposition party after allegations of misconduct.

Trond Giske, 51, said late on Sunday that he will step down as deputy leader of the Labor Party and as its economic policy spokesman.

Giske has been an influential figure in Norwegian politics for more than 20 years, and has held several ministerial posts, serving most recently as trade and industry minister in 2013.

His resignation comes after a wave of allegations against Giske of inappropriate behavior toward women from mostly anonymous whistle blowers. Giske has apologized for his actions, which span several years, but has also said that some of the allegations aren’t true.

“I will answer questions that are asked and confront the claims that I think are wrong,” he said in a Facebook post late Sunday. “At the same time, I again apologize for the things that I’ve done that have caused discomfort to others. I haven’t always been aware of my own role in all situations, especially in informal and private situations. I’m sorry for that.”

Jonas Gahr Store, the Labor Party’s leader, said on Monday that he was in agreement with Giske’s resignation. While the party is still going through the allegations, Store said at a press conference in Oslo that what has been revealed so far is not compatible with our “rules” and “values.”

The scandal has shaken the party, which is still reeling from a loss in September’s general election. </s> Trond Giske retires as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

Trond Giske steps down as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party on a permanent basis. He also withdraws as a financial spokesperson, he writes in a post on Facebook.

– As the situation has become, I have together with my closest family decided that this must be on permanent basis. – I also make my place as chairman of the Labour Party’s financial fraction available, if this is according to the wishes of the parliamentary group, writes Giske in the post.

Labour leader, Jonas Gahr Støre, and party secretary, Kjersti Stenseng, have been informed of the decision, he goes on.

The strain has become too large

– The main reason why I do this is that it is impossible for me and the family to continue to withstand the pressure we have been subject to during the last couple of weeks. The strain has become too large, and it affects the ones I love the most and who have not chosen for a life in politics. It’s very hard for them to experience the picture drawn of me, day in and day out.

– The other reason is consideration to the Labour Party and the important work we have in front of us, Giske writes in the post, in which he also thanks for the support and care.

– At the same time, I know how many people are dispaired that our work is paralyzed and that we do not get to work on politics. I hope my decision allows members and union representatives to again use the forces to build the society we have a passion for, he goes on.

Giske at the same time hopes that the decision will lead to a good handling of the warning cases against him.

– I look forward to provide my version of the cases. Being on sick leave has so far made it impossible to contribute to this. I will answer questions that are asked and respond to what I think is incorrect, writes Giske, who again apologizes for the things he has done that has caused others discomfort.

– I have not always been sufficiently aware of my own role in all situations, especially informal and private. I’m sorry about that.

– I have advised Giske to withdraw and therefore support the decision he has taken and respect it, says Støre in a press release on Sunday evening.

He will explain to the central comittee in the Labour Party why he thinks this was the correct decision on Monday.

– I hope it will provide calm around the further process, says Støre.

The Central Committee will hold its monthly meeting on Monday at the party office at Youngstorget in Oslo.

NTB attempted to contact the party secretary, Kjersti Stenseng, and Deputy Leader, Hadia Tajik, on Sunday. None of them want to comment on Giske’s resignation.

– I think that we let Jonas’s press release be enough said, says Tajik’s advisor, Edina Ringdal, in a text message to NTB. </s> OSLO, March 20 (Reuters) - Norwegian Justice Minister Sylvi Listhaug, who faced a no-confidence vote in parliament, said on Tuesday she will resign from the cabinet, likely preventing a collapse of the centre-right minority government.

She announced the resignation in a posting on Facebook.

Listhaug rocked Norway's traditionally consensual politics on March 9 by accusing the opposition Labour Party - target of the country's worst peacetime massacre - of putting terrorists' rights before national security. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Ole Petter Skonnord) </s> Sylvi Listhaug confirms her resignation as Justice Minister in Oslo. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix

Sylvi Listhaug has resigned as Norway's Minister of Justice following a motion of no confidence against her by opposition parties.

Parliament had been set to vote on the motion of no confidence on Tuesday.

But the minister pre-empted the vote by announcing her resignation early Tuesday morning, stating she could not allow the Progress Party to lose power over her departure.

Listhaug is a high-profile figure in the anti-immigration party, which is part of Norway’s tripartite coalition government.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg earlier said that if there was a majority against Listhaug, she would call a vote of confidence (kabinettsspørsmål in Norwegian) in the entire government, potentially resulting in new elections or either Solberg or Jonas Gahr Støre, the head of the opposition, being asked to form a new government.

The minister said her resignation was made on her own initiative. The decision is reported by state broadcaster NRK to have come as a surprise to both Solberg and Progress Party leader Siv Jensen.

“I appreciate that Siv and the entire [Progress] party were prepared to prepared to set aside our position as a government partner to support me as justice minister. But I cannot allow my departure to result in the Progress Party losing power and influence,” Listhaug wrote in a statement, which was also posted on her Facebook page.

She is reported to have given no indication on Monday to government or Progress Party leadership of her intention to resign.

“It was entirely up to me whether to see this through to the end or to step down,” she wrote.

The minister's resignation is the culmination of political and public outcry over an image and message posted by Listhaug on Facebook.

In the March 9th social media post, which contained a photo of al-Shabaab militants, she accused Labour of considering that "the rights of terrorists are more important than the security of the nation".

She was criticising Labour's opposition to a proposal to strip the citizenship of Norwegians who pose a threat to the nation's vital interests, without a court order.

Labour members were the main victims of the deadliest attacks on Norwegian soil since the Second World War when, on July 22nd, 2011, Breivik, who once was a member of the Progress Party, killed 77 people in twin attacks: one targeting then Labour prime minister Jens Stoltenberg's office in Oslo and another against a Labour youth camp on the island of Utøya.

In the message confirming her resignation, the minister wrote that her post “was nothing to do with July 22nd” and claimed the subsequent outrage was a “witch-hunt”.

“I have found this to be nothing but a witch-hunt, in which Jonas Gahr Støre’s intention was to connect freedom of speech to an issue which is one of the most important things we must discuss for Norway’s future,” she wrote.

“The most important thing for me is the Progress Party and that it will continue to govern Norway,” she said at a press conference Tuesday according to NRK’s report.

She also reiterated her criticism at Tuesday’s press meeting of Støre for connecting her Facebook post to the July 22nd attacks.

“The aim of the [2017] election campaign was to keep Jonas Gahr Støre away from the Prime Minister’s office, and that is still my goal. I don’t think he is suitable for the role of Prime Minister of Norway. I am happy that Siv [Jensen] and the rest of the party have supported me 100 percent. They were willing to see this through,” she said.

“Støre has tried to label me, compare me with the views of Norway’s worst mass murderer. I strongly reject that,” she said.

Listhaug confirmed that she will continue as an MP and “concentrate one hundred percent on promoting Progress’ politics with my excellent parliamentary colleagues.”

Listhaug’s decision comes after the Christian Democrats on Monday refused to back her over the controversial Facebook post.

Although Listhaug eventually removed the post and apologised in parliament, a motion of no confidence against her gained the support of all parties in Norway's opposition, leaving her fate as justice minister potentially in the hands of the one remaining non-coalition party, the centre-right Christian Democrats.

Both Labour and the Centre Party are reported to have decided to move against Listhaug after seeing the way the apology was made.

She was asked for an apology on eight occasions and came to the speaker's stand four times during the session on Thursday last week.

The Facebook post announcing her resignation was published at 8am on Tuesday, just two hours before the no confidence motion was set to be voted in parliament.

After a long meeting Monday, the Christian Democrats concluded that they no longer could support Listhaug as justice minister, furthering the possibility of the government crisis, although they did not give a final confirmation as to how they would vote on the no-confidence motion.

The party’s votes would have determined whether the motion gained a majority.

On Monday evening, the three government parties – the Progress Party, Solberg’s Conservatives and the Liberal party – held crisis talks at the prime minister’s residence. Neither Solberg nor Jensen are thought to have asked Listhaug to step down, NRK reports.

At Tuesday’s press conference, she called the Christian Democrats a party “without a backbone, leadership or a way forward”.

READ ALSO: Norway's government could fall as majority seek ouster of Sylvi Listhaug </s> Norwegian Justice Minister Sylvi Listhaug resigned on Tuesday, ahead of a no-confidence vote she was likely to lose and could have prompted the center-right minority government’s collapse.

Listhaug, a member of Norway’s anti-immigration Progress Party, insisted the decision to step down was her own initiative, writing in a statement on Facebook: “I appreciate that Siv [Jensen, Progress Party leader] and the entire party were prepared to set aside our position as a government partner to support me as justice minister. But I cannot allow my departure to result in the Progress Party losing power and influence.”

Listhaug sparked anger earlier this month when she accused Norway’s opposition Labour party of putting the rights of terrorists ahead of national security. The Labour party, alongside the Christian Democrats, had opposed a bill that would have allowed the state to strip the citizenship of Norwegians suspected of terrorism or joining foreign militant groups without judicial review.

Her accusations struck a nerve with the Labour party, whose youth wing was the target of a mass shooting in 2011 when far-right militant Anders Behring Breivik killed 69 people at a summer camp of young center-left political activists.

“A Facebook post, which had nothing to do with July 22 [2011], and which I regretted was posted, has turned Norwegian politics into a kindergarten,” Listhaug wrote on Facebook. “Then I think it’s my responsibility to act adult.”

Listhaug also compared the outcry over her comments to a “witch hunt.”

Listhaug apologized for her comments in parliament last week. But the Christian Democratic party, also currently in opposition, said on Monday it would join five other parties in backing the no-confidence motion against Listhaug, making it likely she would be forced out.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg previously said she would trigger a vote of confidence in the entire government if a majority voted against Listhaug in parliament. </s> OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian Justice Minister Sylvi Listhaug, who was almost certain to lose a no-confidence due later on Tuesday, has resigned in a bid to prevent a collapse of the centre-right minority government.

Listhaug provoked anger and dismay earlier this month when she accused the opposition Labour Party of putting “terrorists’ rights” before national security, a particularly sensitive topic for Labour which was hit in 2011 by a mass shooting by far right militant Anders Behring Breivik.

Listhaug made her comments after Labour and the Christian Democrats helped defeat a bill allowing the state the right, without judicial review, to strip individuals of Norwegian citizenship if they were suspected of terrorism or of joining foreign militant groups.

Listhaug’s comments triggered a political storm, and she apologised in parliament last week. Opposition parties, however, said her gesture was not sincere enough, and that she should resign.

Norway’s opposition Christian Democrats said on Monday it would join five centre-left parties in backing a no-confidence motion, securing a majority in favour of ousting Listhaug.

The vote in parliament had been scheduled to take place later on Tuesday. Prime Minister Erna Solberg faced the choice of letting Listhaug go, weakening the cabinet and risking a defection by Progress, or to get the whole government to resign. </s> STAVANGER, Norway (AP) - A senior minister in the Norwegian Government resigned Tuesday for writing a Facebook post claiming the opposition Labor Party was more interested in protecting the rights of terrorists than protecting the Norwegian people.

The comment by Justice Minister, Sylvi Listhaug, touched a raw nerve in a country still tormented by memories of the July, 2011 attack by far-right terrorist, Anders Behring Breivik. Breivik opened fire on the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labor Party's youth wing on their holiday camp on Utoya Island, killing 69 people, mostly teenagers.

With opposition parties against her, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg faced the prospect of either dissolving the Conservative-led coalition or sacking Listhaug, who published the post earlier this month. She subsequently deleted the post and apologized.
Trond Giske announces his permanent resignation as deputy leader of Norway's Labour Party after several sexual assault accusations. He also gives up his position in the Norwegian parliament's finance committee.