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Greenland’s new Statute inaugurates self-rule era and opens door for self-determination

 
Statute granting almost full powers to the Parliament of Greenland has come into force this weekend · Control of natural resources and official status for the Greenlandic language, among main powers devolved · From now on Greenlandic people may declare itself independent whenever they wish.

Greenland is officially a self-governed territory with the right to self-determination from this weekend on. After 300 years under Danish rule and a limited autonomy since 1979, a new statute came into force on Sunday, which devolves most of powers to the Artic island, recognizes Greenlandic the status of the island's only official language and establishes the right of the Greenlandic people to freely attain full independence.

The Statute was approved by referendum on November 25 2008 with the 75 % of vote in favour. The decision to make a step towards independence was ratified in June's parliamentary elections, as voters put an end to Siumut's hegemony -social democrat nationalists-, and gave electoral success to pro-independence Inuit party Ataqatigiit ('People's Community').

Coinciding with Greenland's national day (June 21), people took to the streets of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, to celebrate the new era. Prime ministers from Greenland and Denmark and Queen Margreth II, who was dressed with the traditional Inuit costume, attended the ceremony. According to AFP, pro-independence leader Kuupik Kleist said that "other countries have obtained self-determination often through making a lot of sacrifices but Greenland has secured it through dialogue, mutual comprehension and reciprocal respect with Denmark".

Kleist said that an immediate declaration of independence it's not in his cabinet agenda, at least within the next four years, and added they will focus on the implementation of the greater autonomy granted by the new statute and the improvement of social services.

Danish premier Lars Loekke Rasmussen, said that "the question of independence is not an issue today, but it's totally up to Greenlandic people themselves to decide whether they wish to be a part of the Danish kingdom or whether they wish to establish an independent state."

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