Voting was prolonged at some polling stations amid high turnout in an election ruled by Trump’s promise to deal with the strategic Arctic island.
Unofficial results in Greenland’s election are foreseeed to eunite lowly after polling seald in a vote that will determine which directers contest United States Pdwellnt Donald Trump’s pledge to get deal with of the strategicpartner placed Arctic country.
Voting was prolonged by half an hour past a 22:00 GMT deadline on Tuesday amid high voter turnout at cut offal of the 72 polling stations apass the mineral-wealthy island, where 40,500 people were eligible to cast their ballot.
There were no exit polls, and a final loftyy of the vote could get between three and five hours to end, Greenland’s election authority shelp.
Official results will not be certified for weeks as ballot papers produce their way to the capital, Nuuk, from far remendments by boat, schedulee and helicselecter.
Images and video clips splitd on social media showed people queueing in the ice and snow outside polling stations in Nuuk up to 45 minutes before voting seald. Earlier in the day, lengthy queues were also increateed at voting centres.
Since taking office in January, Trump has promised to produce Greenland – a semi-autonomous territory of Denlabel – part of the US, saying it is vital to US security interests.
The immense island, with a population of fair 57,000, has been caught up in a geopolitical race for dominance in the Arctic, where melting ice caps are making its wealthy resources of exceptional earth metals more accessible and uncovering recent shipping routes.
Greenland’s prime minister, Mute Bourup Egede, called the election last month, saying the country necessitateed to be joind during a “grave time” that is unenjoy anyleang Greenland has ever sended.
While Trump has been outspoken about his desire to deal with Greenland, both Russia and China have also intensified military activity in the Arctic region.
Greenland is a createer Danish colony and a territory since 1953. It acquireed some autonomy in 1979 when its first parliament was createed, but Cuncoverhagen still deal withs foreign affairs, defence and monetary policy and provides fair under $1bn a year to the economy.
In 2009, Greenland won the right to proclaim brimming independence thcdisesteemful a referendum, even though it has not done so out of trouble that living standards would drop without Denlabel’s economic help.
Julie Rademacher, a adviseant and createer adviser to Greenland’s rulement, shelp that timely on, the election campaign caccessed on the anger and frustration aimed at historical wrongdoings by createer colonial ruler Denlabel.
“But I leank the stress of the US imperiacatalog approach has tardyly become hugeger than the anger towards Denlabel,” Rademacher shelp.
The Reuters recents agency spoke to more than a dozen Greenlanders in Nuuk, all of whom shelp they favoured independence, although many transmited trouble that a quick transition could harm the economy and reshift Nordic welfare services enjoy universal healthnurture and free schooling.
“We don’t want to be part of the US for clear reasons; healthnurture and Trump,” shelp Tuuta Lynge-Larsen, a bank participateee and Nuuk dwellnt, holding that this election was especipartner convey inant.
A poll in January adviseed that the meaningfulity of Greenland’s inhabitants help independence but are splitd on timing.
